Latest News & Developments
mountain rescue
Extraordinary officers of the SAPS: K9 handlers and forensic experts making a difference
Discover the remarkable contributions of South African Police Services officers, from K9 handlers undertaking perilous rescues to forensic experts solving crimes with unmatched precision.
65-year-old hiker rescued after fall on Table Mountain
The experienced hiker, who was accompanied by a partner, slipped and fell approximately eight metres (26 feet) down the mountainside.
Thieving baboon leaves model stranded on cliff, prompting WSAR rescue
A team of Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) volunteers and professionals came to the rescue of a model who tried retrieving her bag from a thieving baboon.
‘Missing’ French tourist found safe in Cape Town
A French tourist who went missing during a hike at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has been safely located and is set to return home.
Hiker rescued after fall on Lion’s Head
Dedicated teams of volunteers and professionals from Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) responded to Lion’s Head after a visiting foreign hiker fell while descending from the summit on Saturday afternoon.
Top Slovak mountaineer dies in Nepal after historic ascent
A member of the Slovak national mountaineering team fell into a crevasse on Thursday.
British tourist's mountain rescue prompts summer safety warning
A 70-year-old British tourist's rescue from Platteklip Gorge on Table Mountain has prompted authorities to reinforce hiking safety measures as summer approaches.
WSAR responds to multiple hiker incidents and warns of hot summer conditions
It was a busy weekend for professionals and volunteers from Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) who responded to six incidents.
Raising a mountain from a mountain
This challenge surpasses Yeung’s previous triumph on the Manaslu, Nepal, at 8,163 metres, in 2023, with a number of more advanced technical crossings and climbing skills expected on the rides, navigating ice, rocks and snow.
More than 4 000 incidents on Western Cape mountains in four decades
According to the South African Mountain Accidents Database, there have been 4272 incidents since 1980 in the Western Cape.
US hiker’s family shaken by ‘tragic’ and ‘accidental loss’ of their daughter
‘Profoundly earthshaking. ’ That was how the grieving father of American student, Brook Cheuvront, described news of his 20-year-old adventure-loving daughter’s death after her body was found on Devil’s Peak
‘Table Mountain National Park crime stats have drastically declined’: SANParks rebuts safety concerns
SANParks said over the last year, official crime statistics has drastically decreased from 16 and 32, respectively, in October and November 2023 to six in July 2024 and three in August 2024.
Brook Cheuvront: SANParks reveals details on how missing American hiker's lifeless body was found on Table Mountain
Police told IOL that Brook Cecilia Cheuvront, 20, went hiking on Saturday at Devil’s Peak at Table Mountain National Park near Cape Town before her body was found on Sunday.
SAPS chopper brought in to search for two men who went to ‘extremely remote’ area in Low’s Creek and vanished
Provincial police spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Colonel Donald Mdhluli said the two men apparently went into the mountainous area last week, and they have since vanished.
Chery SA sponsor AMS with a new branded vehicle
The SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service (AMS) has a new addition to its fleet, thanks to Chery South Africa who sponsored the AMS with a new branded Chery Tiggo 8 Pro ensuring that they are providing access to health care and delivering lifesaving assistance across the region.
Drone instrumental in locating drowning victim in KZN
IPSS Search and Rescue called PACSys drone pilot Elmar Vrey to help locate a man who went missing from a raft at the Tugela River mouth.
The hidden dangers of using mobile hiking apps when hiking alone
One of the primary dangers of using mobile hiking apps is the potential for over-reliance on technology.
Police continue to search for missing City official implicated in R2. 5 million fraud scandal
The disappearance of Stanbull, from the City’s human settlements department, sent tongues wagging as search parties assembled across the hiking trails at Constantia Nek.
Hikers from Pretoria rescued after they were stranded at Theresa Avenue above Camps Bay
A group of hikers from Pretoria were rescued after they were stranded at Theresa Avenue above Camps Bay on Sunday night.
Surfer dies after being hit by his surfboard while surfing at Big Bay Beach
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to an emergency call of a possible drowning at Big Bay Beach at Bloubergstrand at 1. 04pm on Saturday.
Fire-stranded trail runner praises heroic rescue
“I was focused on running the technical trail quickly and hardly noticed the mist as I descended the trail. ”
Taiwan earthquake: Families shelter in tents as rescuers seek people cut off by quake
Taiwan rescuers worked on April 4 to reach scores of people trapped in highway tunnels as engineers began a massive clear-up operation a day after the island's biggest earthquake in a quarter of a century.
Taiwan earthquake: Helicopter plucks miners to safety as searches for missing continue after quake
At least nine people were killed and more than 1,000 injured by a powerful earthquake in Taiwan that damaged dozens of buildings and prompted tsunami warnings as far as Japan and the Philippines before being lifted.
From peril to safety: 50-year-old hiker survives 15-metre Table Mountain fall
The hiker and her family were walking between India Venster and Platteklip Gorge when she stepped awkwardly and tumbled 15 metres from the trail.
Wilderness Search and Rescue teams had their hands busy over the long Easter Weekend as multiple calls came in
The Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) said its teams responded to at least five incidents on Saturday.