Wilderness Search And Rescue WSAR Western Cape rescued a 20 year old boy from the iconic Table Mountain above Newlands area after a tense 14 hours rescue operation. The boy was brought down safely on Monday morning 7 AM, September 7, 2026.
According to a report, the young boy went to hike the Table Mountain on Sunday afternoon but lost his direction after a few hours of the hike and found himself in an isolated steep cliff. Observing the situation and draining out from the phone battery he made the decision to call for help.
Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) responded quickly and sent the specialised rope rescue personnel from the Table Aerial cableway’s upper station. Moreover, Western Cape Government Health and wellness EMS Drone Unit also helped the rescue team in the search operation of the young hiker.
Both the organizations searched for the young hiker in collaboration as they were doing the search operation in the night Western Cape Government Health and wellness EMS Drone Unit provided aerial imagery to the rescue personnel. The drone was also used in communicating with the young boy.
After successfully identifying the young hiker’s location, the rescue team moved to the top of the cliff where they prepared a rope system and descended nearly 200 meters down to reach the hiker. The team found the young hiker uninjured and they further secured him with the rope system and lifted him. Upon reaching the top the rescue team gave him food and water and escorted him safely back down to the mountain.
The young hiker also shared his views on standard at the steep cliff , he stated, “After Being alone on the mountain in the darkness, hearing voices coming from a drone was a somewhat surreal experience”.
Notably, the WSAR stated that the following incident serves as a reminder to everyone that they can find themselves in difficult situations in the mountains regardless of their experience or preparation. The organization further encouraged hikers to research their hike route before ascending and suggested carrying sufficient water and ensuring their cell phone is fully charged.