A 22-year-old woman part of a team clearing alien vegetation on a mountainside near Wemmershoek during the Cape Storm fell to her death, on Sunday.
Cape Storm claims the life of an alien vegetation clearer
The woman, part of a team of professionals specialising in the removal of non-native plant species, was descending from a remote camp located in the mountains around Wemmershoek Dam, positioned between Paarl and Franschhoek.
According to the Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) office, the team’s objective was to evade the escalating severity of the storm.
During their descent, the young woman suffered a fatal fall. A large contingent of WSAR rescue specialists, including volunteers, was mobilised to the scene on Sunday evening following a distress call from the victim’s team.
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The effort was aimed at providing aid to the fallen team member. Despite the swift response, the 22-year-old was found without signs of life by the rescuers.
Given the hazardous conditions exacerbated by the Cape Storm, the decision was made to postpone the recovery operation until daylight.
“Setting out early on Monday morning, a large multi-disciplinary team, including members the Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness EMS, SAPS WPDS and Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) members, assisted SAPS to recover the deceased,” WSAR explained.
The recovery operation involved delicately transporting the woman’s body using a rescue stretcher back to a designated staging area, where it was then handed over to the local SAPS and forensic services for further proceedings.
The mission was completed shortly after 20:00 on Monday, 8 April 2024.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the friends and family of the deceased at this sad time,” WSAR’s statement concluded.
