Durban - An SMS to France from a tourist stuck in a deep gully at the top of a waterfall in the freezing Drakensberg led to his rescue on Wednesday.
Matthias Ferago was able to contact a friend in France using his cellphone, and the friend called the French embassy in South Africa, which alerted the rescue teams.
Members of Emergency Medical Services, the SANDF and the Mountain Club of South Africa responded to the call for help and rescued the 30-year-old tourist from a ledge at Mweni in the northern Berg.
Robert McKenzie said the EMS Operational Centre received a call that Ferago was in trouble at 1pm on Tuesday.
A rescue operation was initiated, but because of bad weather and non-communication with the patient, contact could not be made that day.
McKenzie said an Oryx helicopter from 15 Squadron got the call for help at 6am on Wednesday. At midday, the rescue team spotted the Frenchman and his tent from the air and initiated the rescue. After the helicopter landed on level ground above Ferago, rescue personnel climbed down the mountain to reach him and he was helped to safety.
Gavin Raubenheimer, convener of the mountain club, said Ferago had been stranded because he could neither go up on his own nor get down to safety, as it was too dangerous.
Raubenheimer said Ferago would have signed the register before he went hiking, but no one would have realised he was in trouble on Tuesday because it was still early in the day when he sent the SOS to France
He said the signal was inconsistent in the area: “Cell signal in the Berg is intermittent – sometimes you can connect and sometimes you can’t.”
The weather was bad on Tuesday with light snow on the high peaks, but it had cleared by Wednesday morning. The man had slept in his small tent. It was not clear on Wednesday why he was on his own.
Raubenheimer added that Ferago was fine and in good health. All he knew about him was that he was going back to France in 10 days’ time.
KwaZulu-Natal Health spokesman Desmond Motha said Ferago was stuck at Mweni Mountain. He said after the rescue he was screened by the KZN advanced life support paramedic who found him to be in good health and without injury. Motha said he was taken to Durban and then to his hotel.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo said: “We are all relieved that the man has been found alive and without injuries, even though he lost all his possessions including his tent and backpack in this ordeal. I would like to congratulate all involved for a job well done.’’
The Mercury