Cape Town - Police are investigating the death of a hiker who slipped and fell to his death, while hiking on the Camps Bay side of Lion’s Head on Sunday morning.
According to an eyewitness account, the man had been sitting on the edge of a walk-away, along with his female counterpart, looking over the edge when he fell.
Maritza Botha said: “We were hiking on the second section of Lion’s Head on the Camps Bay side when we saw two people sitting on the edge. They were looking down over the edge, when suddenly the woman began yelling ’help, he fell over help, call for help’.”
“We didn’t believe her at first, but thought to go look over the edge and we couldn’t see much because he had fallen that far down. However, after a short while, we spotted him and began calling for help.”
“My friend tried the police but they were not answering, so I looked online for who else we could call and reached the Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR).
“They responded immediately and came shortly after the call in a chopper. Two paramedics were lowered down but the man had already died, so his body was brought up in a bag,” she said.
WSAR spokesperson Johan Marais said: “Just after 9am on Sunday, February 7, 2021, WSAR was activated to assist with a call to deploy rescuers to the Camps Bay side of Lion's Head, following a report that a hiker had fallen.”
“Authority to use the emergency rescue helicopter operated by SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service (AMS) and contracted to the Department of Health was granted, and the pilot collected a paramedic and technical rescuer at Pinelands rescue base.”
“Unfortunately, when the rescuers reached the fallen person, it was found that the hiker had suffered fatal injuries. The body was packaged and, thereafter, hoisted out and handed to the forensic pathology department of SAPS.”
Police spokesperson Andre Traut said: “Police have opened a death inquest following the death of an unknown man who died on Lion’s Head yesterday morning at around 9am after slipping on a rock. No foul play is suspected.”
Cape Argus