After a jump into a waterfall pool went wrong, a critically injured hiker was rescued in a 12-hour, 4km operation
South Africa (07 November 2025) – What started as an adventurous jump into a waterfall pool quickly turned into a nightmare for a hiker near Hekpoort on 26 October. Landing awkwardly in the water, he was left critically injured and in severe pain, several kilometres from the nearest road.
Thanks to his friends who acted fast, helping him out of the pool and onto the rocky edges, but it quickly became clear that they could not get him to safety on their own.
The group initially contacted a private ambulance service, but the inaccessible terrain prevented paramedics from reaching the hiker. Waiting until morning was not an option due to the severity of his injuries, so a ground rescue team was called in, including Gauteng Emergency Services paramedics and MSAR rescuers.
The hiker was carefully placed in a vacuum mattress and secured into a wilderness stretcher, providing full-body immobilisation for the long and difficult journey ahead. The team faced their biggest challenge moving the stretcher from the rocks next to the waterfall, across the pool outflow, and up a steep rock scramble.
Ropes were used to prevent any further accidents as the rescuers navigated the treacherous landscape. Once on slightly firmer ground, the stretcher was carried over 4 kilometres to reach a waiting 4×4, before finally being transported to a Gauteng Emergency Services ambulance. Twelve hours after the accident, he was admitted to hospital, alive and safe.
The team described the care taken to ensure the hiker’s safety.
“This would give the best protection during the carry over the steep and rough terrain.”
After 12 hours of careful and determined effort, the hiker was finally transported to hospital and is now on the road to recovery.
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