At 12h46 on Thursday the 26th of March, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following reports from Plettenberg Bay Mountain Rescue of a man who was missing after being swept down the Salt River at The Crags, Natures Valley. He was with a group on a kloofing (canyoning) expedition and was caught by a flash flood.
Four tourists and two guides were in the group and while in the process of escaping from the flood one man, a 29 year old from Belgium, was swept away. The alarm was immediately raised.
NSRI Plettenberg Bay dispatched a rescue team to the location, approximately 12 kilometres upstream from the river mouth, a sea rescue craft was dispatched to the river mouth, the SA Police Services, MedLife ambulance services and the Red Cross AMS Skymed rescue helicopter were dispatched to join Plettenberg Bay Mountain Rescue on the scene.
During the search the body of the man was located downstream.
A NSRI rescue swimmer and a Mountain Rescue member were deployed from the helicopter to the site where the body of the man was recovered.
The body of the man has been taken into the care of the Police and the Forensic Pathology Services and Police have opened an inquest docket.
The remaining 5 men were not injured.
The Belgium Consulate are assisting the deceased man’s family abroad. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Source: nsri.org.za
4 Comments
Gross negligence on the part of the kloofing operator. Flash flooding happened in Oudshoorn on Monday and again on Wed. The entire area had big thunder storms and flash flooding warnings were in effect. Yet they still chose to go down the river. This is not the first time this has happened.
Was there not a similar incident, a few years ago, on a tubing trip in this region?
Yes GClamp. The famous storms river tubing disaster happened on 25 march 2010 with 13 fatalities (a calendar day away from this incident). Then again 3 people died in kaaimans gorge also because of a flash flood on 14 January 2005.
My condolences to the family and friends of the person involved.
It is never good to hear news like this.
Hopefully this sort of tragedy can be avoided in future!