Credit: OtterTrail101.blogspot
Rescue swimmers of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NRSI) on Friday rescued two hikers who were swept out to sea at the Bloukrans River Mouth while hiking the Otter Trail.
According to the NSRI, the two women were rescued in the nick of time before the high tide engulfed the rocks that they were trapped on.
NSRI Oyster Bay shore controller, Charles Hutchins, said NSRI Storms River duty crew and SA National Parks Tsitsikamma Park rangers were activated at 07:40
A hiker who formed part of the group climbed a cliff and used an escape route trail to reach a cellphone signal to make the distress call.
NSRI Storms River dispatched NSRI rescue swimmers and SA National Parks, Storms River Tsitsikamma National Parks rangers responded.
NSRI National Spokesperson Craig Lambinon says it appears that the group of hikers was crossing through the Bloukrans River when the two women in the hiking group were caught in the outgoing current.
"They were both swept out of the Bloukrans River Mouth, but apparently not able to swim they had used their backpacks to stay afloat.
"They were able to both reach rocks in a gulley along the shoreline where they were then trapped on the rocks, unable to climb the cliff and unable to reach the trail path through the water.
"At that stage, it was low tide but turning towards high tide," he said.
To affect a successful rescue, it was deemed safest for NSRI rescue swimmers to swim both of them out to sea to an NSRI rescue craft.
"On the barely accessible terrain, all-wheel drive vehicles were used to get as close to the location as possible.
"NSRI rescue swimmers and SANPark rangers then hiked to the location finding both ladies trapped on rocks in a gulley with the gradually increasing risk of the incoming tide," said Lambinon.
Four rescue swimmers reached the women and secured them into Personal Floatation Devices (PFD's).
In relays of one at a time they were swam to shore to the other side of the gulley.
Once safely ashore, they were found to be uninjured and opted to carry on their hike.
Lambinon said they had sufficient dry gear and support from their fellow hikers and it was deemed safe for them to continue.
About 25 minutes after the rescue, the rocks they had been trapped on were engulfed in waves at the high tide.
