Facebook Group: Otter Trail/Dillon Swartz
The body of a hiker who went missing on the second last day on the Otter Trail was discovered at first light on Wednesday.
This follows an extensive search by rangers of the South African National Parks (SANParks), the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), and members of the SAPS Search and Rescue teams.
The man went missing in the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park.
NSRI National Spokesperson, Craig Lambinon said a hiking party reported that they had last seen the 32-year-old man from Johannesburg, at around 13:00.
The man formed part of an 11 person hiking team, who had gone ahead during the hike.
Lambinon said when the 10 hikers reached the Otter Trail Bloukrans River Mouth crossing, swollen from heavy rains, they could not locate the man.
It is understood that they were not comfortable crossing the swollen river and had initiated a search for their missing hiking member.
"During their initial search they noticed the missing man’s backpack afloat on the river, adrift and caught in amongst the rocky shoreline, in the direction of the river mouth.
"They suspected that he may have tried to cross the river and they raised the alarm."
It is suspected that the man had been swept down river or out of the river mouth.
The man's backpack was located near the river mouth where additional items believed to have belonged to him (and believed to have been from the same backpack) were found.
According to SANParks Head of Communications, JP Louw, SANParks Rangers and the NSRI began their search on Tuesday at around 15:43 despite unfavourable weather conditions, large swells, and swollen rivers.
The search was called off at nightfall, when there was no sign of the man.
The SAPS Police Search and Rescue teams and SANParks Tsitsikamma rangers, assisted by NSRI Storms River, NSRI Oyster Bay, and NSRI Plettenberg Bay, continued in an ongoing sea and shoreline search from first light on Wednesday.
According to Lambinon, Duran de Villiers, a local private helicopter and drone pilot, volunteered his EC120 helicopter to assist in the search at the request of NSRI Plettenberg Bay.
"A Landing Zone (LZ) was prepared at the a gravel road near to the Bloukrans River Mouth.
"On arrival on the scene an aerial search along the shoreline and out to sea was conducted by the helicopter.
"Not finding any signs of the missing man Duran landed at the LZ where he then launched a drone (from the gravel road) and during the drone search the body of the man was located offshore of the Bloukrans River Mouth.
"Duran, and an NSRI rescue swimmer, joined SANParks rangers at the river mouth where Duran waded into the water and he was able to secure the body of the man to the shoreline," Lambinon said.
SANParks and the NSRI has extended their condolences to the deceased's family.
In light of the adverse weather conditions, hikers have been advised against the crossing of fast-flowing rivers or areas affected by the high sea conditions.
According to SANParks, the Otter Trail remains open with Park Management keeping a close eye on the situation.
Also read: Hikers on Otter Trail rescued in the nick of time
In May, Algoa FM News reported that two hikers who were swept out to sea at the Bloukrans River Mouth while hiking the Otter Trail were rescued in the nick of time.
NSRI rescue swimmer came to their aid before the high tide engulfed the rocks that they were trapped on.
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.
The women opted to carry on with their hike.
