Cape Town - The body of a woman who slipped and fell to her death from the Lookout Point while celebrating her 31st birthday has been recovered at the bottom of Chapman's Peak in Cape Town, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Monday.
Spokesperson Craig Lambinon said: "In a high angle technical recovery operation the body of the female has been recovered and taken into the care of the Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an inquest docket."
He said the operation was launched on Sunday by NSRI Kommetjie and NSRI Hout Bay after eye-witness reported seeing a female fall down a cliff at the Chapman's Peak Lookout Point in Hout Bay.
"Both NSRI stations dispatched rescue vehicles and NSRI Kommetjie launched the sea rescue craft Spirit of the Vines and NSRI Hout Bay launched the sea rescue craft Albie Matthews," said Lambinon.
He said Western Cape government health EMS ambulance and EMS rescue squad, Cape Medical Response and the SA Police Service responded. in addition, Wilderness Search and Rescue, EMS rescue technicians and the AMS/EMS Skymed rescue helicopter were dispatched.
"On arrival on the scene it was found that the female, age 31, from Sea Point, celebrating her birthday with family, had slipped and fallen over the edge at Lookout Point," said Lambinon.
"Rescuers were deployed to the scene on a cliff face below Look Out Point by the Skymed rescue helicopter, by NSRI sea rescue craft and WSAR and EMS rescue technicians deployed in a high angle technical rescue operation and sadly the female was found to have succumbed to injuries sustained in the fall.
"Family were cared for on the scene by police, a police trauma counsellor, NSRI crew and EMS rescue paramedics."