Cableway Heroes Go Above and Beyond to Rescue Birthday Hiker

Photo Credit: Andrew Lewis

A tourist found herself alone on Table Mountain after dark with 5% battery left on her phone. Teams jumped into action to rescue her.

Cape Town, South Africa (25 May 2026) – A tourist celebrating her 22nd birthday on Table Mountain found herself in trouble on Saturday, when the sun dipped below the horizon earlier than expected.

On the trail solo, she had become stranded in the dark on the India Venster route. With only 5% battery left on her phone, she had a small window to act.

The Table Mountain visitor had been making her way along the Fountain Ledge scramble section when she realised she could no longer safely continue in the darkness. Rather than pushing on and risking a serious fall, she called for help.

Having WSAR’s emergency number saved made all the difference in this situation!

With her phone’s battery nearly drained and no way to share her precise GPS location, rescuers from Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) Western Cape had to work with the information she could give them. They identified a likely search area and mobilised immediately.

The team of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway are heroes in this story too.

Staff extended operations after hours, as they so often do, ferrying rescuers. What might have taken hours on foot took minutes in the cable car.

“While ascending in the cable car, rescuers briefly paused the cabin and called out into the darkness below. To everyone’s relief, the stranded hiker responded, allowing teams to quickly pinpoint her location on the mountain.” the WSAR shares.

A small rescue group then made their way down from the upper station and reached the tourist shortly after. She was cold, but unharme. Her heroes wrapped her in a warm jacket, handed her a head torch, and guided her safely back to the upper cable station.

“Many people haven’t considered just how different rescue on Table Mountain would look without the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. The ability to move rescuers, medics and technical equipment rapidly onto the mountain saves an enormous amount of time and energy during critical incidents,” said WSAR spokesperson, David Nel.

Nel paid tribute to the cableway teams’ consistent willingness to go the extra mile, often staying long past closing time, so rescuers can reach people in need. They also thanked the Chinese Consulate in Cape Town who assisted with translation and communication during the rescue operation.