British Tourists Rescued on Robberg Hiking Trail MyZA

Ray Farnham, NSRI Plettenberg Bay station commander, said; “On Tuesday 14 June at 18h55 NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteers were activated following reports from local Police that two British tourists had wandered off the hiking trail at the Robberg Nature Reserve and lost their way and they required assistance to get back to safety.

The two British tourists, female friends, Margaret Pilling, 65, and Jean Scurrah, 59, both from Yorkshire, United Kingdom, on a holiday touring South Africa together, and staying at a hotel in Knysna (for a few days before continuing up the Garden Route scenic drive towards Port Elizabeth) had decided to go for a walk on the Robberg Nature Reserve Hiking Trail today and during the walk they appear to have wandered off course causing them to lose their way on the hiking trail and while searching for the hiking trail the sun set causing them to make the conscientious decision to call for help rather than trying to get to safety on the trail, unfamiliar to them, alone in the dark.

Once they had reached the rescue authorities on the phone (a task which took about two hours and included phoning the one ladies son in the United Kingdom in their efforts to raise the alarm) they were ordered by rescue authorities (through an intermittent weak cell signal, mostly by sms) to stay where they were and although it was not exactly clear to the rescuers where on the Robberg Hiking Trail the two ladies were a search and rescue party was activated.

The SA Police Service, NSRI Plettenberg Bay volunteers, a Metro EMS rescue team and Medlife Ambulance Service were activated and both ladies were found safe at around 20h50 at a hut at Point 14 on the Robberg Nature Reserve hiking trail and they were both escorted to safety (to the Robberg Nature Reserve car park) by the rescue team.

They have both expressed sincere thanks to the rescue team.

The two ladies were then escorted to the N2 Freeway and they have confirmed they arrived safe at their lodgings in Knysna.

They have both been commended for calling for help rather than trying to negotiate the unfamiliar (to them) hiking trail alone in the dark!”