Durban - Two climbers died and a third had to be rescued after a hike up Cape Town’s Table Mountain went horribly wrong on New Year's Day.
Johann Marais, spokesperson for Wilderness Search and Rescue, said they received an alert just after 7pm on January 1, of two hikers dangling from ropes just below the upper cable station. At least 800 visitors to the popular landmark were left stranded while the cable car was used to ferry rescuers to the spot where the hikers were.
“There was also a report of a third person on a controlled rope who was administering CPR to one of the climbers,” he said.
It was several hours before visitors could be taken back down to the base of the mountain.
The bodies of the two male climbers was retrieved from the mountain on Tuesday morning. The third climber, a woman, survived the ordeal. It is alleged that the men fell during climbing and sustained life-threatening injuries. They were declared dead at the scene. The woman sustained injuries and was rushed to hospital.
Daily News