Durban - A Durban man who was bound and thrown off the edge of a cliff on Tuesday night has been rescued.
After a harrowing 10 hours in the dense bush of Kloof Gorge, the 27-year-old was pulled to safety on Wednesday morning.
A passerby heard the man's cries for help and alerted the authorities.
The KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) responded and paramedics found the man, bound with cable ties, at the bottom of a foot path.
He had fallen about 15 metres.
The paramedics immobilised him but it was not possible to carry him back to safety, so officers from the SAPS Search and Rescue Durban and K9 units, used an intricate system of ropes and pulleys to hoist him up.
Video: SAPS Search and Rescue
He was transported to a local state hospital for further care.
It is alleged that a group of four men, who were known to the man, kidnapped him from his home before throwing him into the gorge at around 8pm.
Their motive was not immediately clear.
Police spokespeople had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publishing but it is understood that a case of attempted murder is being investigated.