Tourist injured jumping into rock pool
2014-11-11 09:03
Johannesburg - A Dutch tourist was injured in the Knysna National Parks forest when he jumped into a rock pool, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old orthopaedic surgeon from Amsterdam had been on a hiking trail with his partner, a general surgeon, when the incident happened on Monday, NSRI Knysna station commander Jerome Simonis said in a statement.
Simonis said a river guide had been taking the two through the Drupkelders hiking trail when the man jumped into a rock pool.
He sustained a suspected fracture to the lumbar spine.
"While Drupkelders [hiking trail] is a relatively short hiking trail of only 3.6km, it involves vertical cliff traversing making it a barely accessible and remote area," said Simonis.
"They remained where they were not wanting to move the injured man fearing complicating the injury."
The guide hiked a cliff trail to a higher spot for a cellphone signal to call for help.
When paramedics, rescuers and the NSRI arrived the guide met them and they hiked a steep cliff, about a kilometre, to the Goukamma River.
"From there six NSRI Knysna rescue swimmers, accompanied by the river guide, then swam upstream searching for the two hikers," said Simonis.
"The swim upstream involved going over numerous waterfalls. A kilometre upstream the two hikers were found, with the injured man in a serious condition."
The man was put onto a floating basket stretcher and was gently floated downstream.
Special care was taken to get down the numerous waterfalls.
The police and paramedics were waiting a kilometre downstream.
Paramedics treated the man on scene before a rope and pulley system was used to haul the stretcher up a steep cliff to reach the parking area.
"A Medlife ambulance transported the man to hospital in a serious but stable condition, accompanied by his partner," said Simonis.
The name of the man could not be released until his family overseas had been alerted.
- SAPA
http://traveller24.news24.com/News/Tour ... l-20141111
Tourist Injured Jumping into Rock Pool - GRNP
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Tourist Injured Jumping into Rock Pool - GRNP
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Re: Tourist Injured Jumping into Rock Pool - GRNP
Tour guides need licences to operate: GRNP
Sapa | 11 November, 2014 18:40
Tour guides operating within a national park must obtain an licence to do so, the Garden Route National Park (GRNP) said on Tuesday.
"Anyone operating within a national park must obtain an operating licence and/or submit an unsolicited bid and/or respond to a solicited bid as advertised," GRNP general manager Jill Bunding-Venter said in a statement.
"These may include activities such as guided tours within the forest on clearly demarcated walking routes/ trails, via access through an official SANParks entrance gate."
Bunding-Venter's comments were in response to the tour operator who guided two Dutch tourists involved in a rescue at the Knysna National Parks forest, who did not have a permit for kloofing.
"They had the right permit for access to the Drupkelders hiking trail but we never issue permits for kloofing," SA National Parks (SANParks) spokeswoman Nandi Mgwadlamba said.
"We don't allow kloofing there at all. But local tour operators do this when rangers are not watching."
Kloofing involves following a mountain river or stream and floating, jumping and swimming its course.
Bunding-Venter said that due to the park's "fragmented nature and open access," unlicensed tour operators entered the park and illegally offered services to visitors.
"Some operators abuse the system by illegally taking visitors off the approved entrances and trails, offering additional activities," she said.
On Monday, a Dutch tourist was injured in the park when he jumped into a rock pool. The 31-year-old orthopaedic surgeon from Amsterdam had been on the hiking trail with his partner, a general surgeon, when the incident happened.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Knysna station commander Jerome Simonis said the river guide had been taking the two through the Drupkelders hiking trail when the man jumped into the rock pool.
He sustained a suspected fracture to the lumbar spine.
The injured man was in such a remote area that the rescue became difficult.
"While Drupkelders is a relatively short hiking trail of only 3.6km, it involves vertical cliff traversing, making it a barely accessible and remote area," said Simonis.
"They remained where they were, not wanting to move the injured man fearing complicating the injury."
The guide hiked a cliff trail to a higher spot for a cellphone signal to call for help.
When paramedics, rescuers and the NSRI arrived, the guide met them and they hiked a steep cliff, about a kilometre, to the Goukamma River.
"From there six NSRI Knysna rescue swimmers, accompanied by the river guide, then swam upstream searching for the two hikers," said Simonis.
The man was put onto a floating basket stretcher and was gently floated downstream.
The police and paramedics were waiting a kilometre downstream.
Paramedics treated the man on scene before a rope and pulley system was used to haul the stretcher up a steep cliff to reach the parking area.
"A Medlife ambulance transported the man to hospital in a serious but stable condition, accompanied by his partner," said Simonis.
Sapa | 11 November, 2014 18:40
Tour guides operating within a national park must obtain an licence to do so, the Garden Route National Park (GRNP) said on Tuesday.
"Anyone operating within a national park must obtain an operating licence and/or submit an unsolicited bid and/or respond to a solicited bid as advertised," GRNP general manager Jill Bunding-Venter said in a statement.
"These may include activities such as guided tours within the forest on clearly demarcated walking routes/ trails, via access through an official SANParks entrance gate."
Bunding-Venter's comments were in response to the tour operator who guided two Dutch tourists involved in a rescue at the Knysna National Parks forest, who did not have a permit for kloofing.
"They had the right permit for access to the Drupkelders hiking trail but we never issue permits for kloofing," SA National Parks (SANParks) spokeswoman Nandi Mgwadlamba said.
"We don't allow kloofing there at all. But local tour operators do this when rangers are not watching."
Kloofing involves following a mountain river or stream and floating, jumping and swimming its course.
Bunding-Venter said that due to the park's "fragmented nature and open access," unlicensed tour operators entered the park and illegally offered services to visitors.
"Some operators abuse the system by illegally taking visitors off the approved entrances and trails, offering additional activities," she said.
On Monday, a Dutch tourist was injured in the park when he jumped into a rock pool. The 31-year-old orthopaedic surgeon from Amsterdam had been on the hiking trail with his partner, a general surgeon, when the incident happened.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Knysna station commander Jerome Simonis said the river guide had been taking the two through the Drupkelders hiking trail when the man jumped into the rock pool.
He sustained a suspected fracture to the lumbar spine.
The injured man was in such a remote area that the rescue became difficult.
"While Drupkelders is a relatively short hiking trail of only 3.6km, it involves vertical cliff traversing, making it a barely accessible and remote area," said Simonis.
"They remained where they were, not wanting to move the injured man fearing complicating the injury."
The guide hiked a cliff trail to a higher spot for a cellphone signal to call for help.
When paramedics, rescuers and the NSRI arrived, the guide met them and they hiked a steep cliff, about a kilometre, to the Goukamma River.
"From there six NSRI Knysna rescue swimmers, accompanied by the river guide, then swam upstream searching for the two hikers," said Simonis.
The man was put onto a floating basket stretcher and was gently floated downstream.
The police and paramedics were waiting a kilometre downstream.
Paramedics treated the man on scene before a rope and pulley system was used to haul the stretcher up a steep cliff to reach the parking area.
"A Medlife ambulance transported the man to hospital in a serious but stable condition, accompanied by his partner," said Simonis.
Re: Tourist Injured Jumping into Rock Pool - GRNP
Legal action possible after kloofing incident
KNYSNA NEWS - SANParks is exploring legal channels following the incident in which a Dutch tourist was injured while kloofing at Drupkelders, near Rheenendal on Monday, November 10.
Nandi Mgwadlamba, spokeswomen for SANParks, said the organisation awaits advice from its legal representatives, whereafter it will be decided which possible further action should be taken. "We don't allow kloofing there," she said.
According to Mgwadlamba, SANParks first read in the Knysna-Plett Herald that tour guides had for more than ten years been taking tourists on kloofing excursions to the Garden Route National Park's Drupkelders.
She asked tour operators to respond to SANParks advertisement, issued under the Garden Route National Park (GRNP), that deals with the registration of commercial operators, in is published in this week's Knysna-Plett Herald.
On previous occasions, SANParks has approached tour operators personally to urge them to register for permits.
"There is also disclaimer signage at the start of the Drukelders trail." The trail is a 3.4km circular route with a swimming area. The trail descends into the river gorge. At the swimming area, there are boulders to sit or lie on to appreciate the environment. The trail exits via the same route, which includes a sharp 400m descend/ascend.
According to Mgwadlamba, kloofing is dangerous in that particular spot, because the river can rise quickly since rain in the catchment areas far upstream can reach this area quickly. Furthermore, once one enters the river, whether one moves upstream or downstream, there is no escape route from the river for a 8km stretch. "This makes it less ideal for a commercial enterprise."
Visitors often clamber up cliffs and ledges in an effort to gain increasing heights to jump from, which poses a further danger. People, some guided by tour operators and some by their own volition, visit the area frequently and have done so for years. It remains very difficult to monitor and control activities such as kloofing in SANParks rivers, also because visitors are also offered access to the rivers by private landowners.
Mgwadlamba urged tourisst to check whether their chosen tour operator has a basic tour guide certificate and is qualified to guide the activities on offer. "We cannot over-emphasise the importance of having tour operators register with our Business Development Unit (contact Andile Namntu, 044 302 5600 or andile.namntu@sanparks.org)."
She added that SANParks had been approached by a trained specialist in kloofing, who is accredited by the CATHSSETA and the SA Mountaineering Development and Training Trust (MDT) and has international credentials.
ARTICLE: CHRISTO VERMAAK, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD JOURNALIST
KNYSNA NEWS - SANParks is exploring legal channels following the incident in which a Dutch tourist was injured while kloofing at Drupkelders, near Rheenendal on Monday, November 10.
Nandi Mgwadlamba, spokeswomen for SANParks, said the organisation awaits advice from its legal representatives, whereafter it will be decided which possible further action should be taken. "We don't allow kloofing there," she said.
According to Mgwadlamba, SANParks first read in the Knysna-Plett Herald that tour guides had for more than ten years been taking tourists on kloofing excursions to the Garden Route National Park's Drupkelders.
She asked tour operators to respond to SANParks advertisement, issued under the Garden Route National Park (GRNP), that deals with the registration of commercial operators, in is published in this week's Knysna-Plett Herald.
On previous occasions, SANParks has approached tour operators personally to urge them to register for permits.
"There is also disclaimer signage at the start of the Drukelders trail." The trail is a 3.4km circular route with a swimming area. The trail descends into the river gorge. At the swimming area, there are boulders to sit or lie on to appreciate the environment. The trail exits via the same route, which includes a sharp 400m descend/ascend.
According to Mgwadlamba, kloofing is dangerous in that particular spot, because the river can rise quickly since rain in the catchment areas far upstream can reach this area quickly. Furthermore, once one enters the river, whether one moves upstream or downstream, there is no escape route from the river for a 8km stretch. "This makes it less ideal for a commercial enterprise."
Visitors often clamber up cliffs and ledges in an effort to gain increasing heights to jump from, which poses a further danger. People, some guided by tour operators and some by their own volition, visit the area frequently and have done so for years. It remains very difficult to monitor and control activities such as kloofing in SANParks rivers, also because visitors are also offered access to the rivers by private landowners.
Mgwadlamba urged tourisst to check whether their chosen tour operator has a basic tour guide certificate and is qualified to guide the activities on offer. "We cannot over-emphasise the importance of having tour operators register with our Business Development Unit (contact Andile Namntu, 044 302 5600 or andile.namntu@sanparks.org)."
She added that SANParks had been approached by a trained specialist in kloofing, who is accredited by the CATHSSETA and the SA Mountaineering Development and Training Trust (MDT) and has international credentials.
ARTICLE: CHRISTO VERMAAK, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD JOURNALIST
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Re: Tourist Injured Jumping into Rock Pool - GRNP
An injured tourist’s letter to South Africa
26 Nov 2014
Earlier in November, the NSRI was called out to a remote part of the Drupkelders hiking trail near Rheenendal in the Knysna Forest to assist injured Dutch tourist Dennis van Duivenbode. Two weeks later, he wrote to the NSRI. His letter reveals something about South Africa that you’ll want to hear.
The Drupkelders trail is only 3.6km long, but cliff faces and dense foliage make it highly inaccessible. It was suspected that Van Duivenbode had fractured his spine when he jumped into a rock pool.
During Van Duivenbode’s rescue, six NSRI Knysna rescue swimmers – alerted by a hiking guide to the situation – swam upstream for about a kilometre, searching for the stranded hiker and his partner. The swim involved traversing numerous waterfalls. They discovered Van Duivenbode in a serious condition. They applied full spinal immobilisation and loaded the injured Van Duivenbode into a Stokes Basket sea rescue stretcher.
The NSRI swimmers then guided the stretcher downstream. The terrain was tough and the weather conditions were worsening, but Van Duivenbode was delivered safely to waiting paramedics (read the full story here). After his discharge from hospital on 18 November, the Dutch national wrote this letter to the NSRI.
Dear Jerome,
I’m leaving the hospital today and will be transported back to Amsterdam. Could you please forward my message to the guys (NSRI, Metro and police) who were involved in my evacuation out of the Drupkelders?
I’ve never been to South Africa before. And up to two weeks ago I would have associated South Africa with: Nelson Mandela, good food, wines, the big five, and of course beautiful nature.
During our holiday we visited museums and read about Madiba’s intriguing life and South Africa’s past. We tasted great food, along with tasteful South African wine, always served with extraordinary hospitality. We saw two of the big five in the beautiful Addo Elephant Park. We visited the marvelous Table Mountain, enjoyed the stunning view from Lion’s Head and experienced the spectacular Drupkelders in Knysna.
After kloofing upstream through the magnificent canyon and climbing up some waterfalls I got injured while jumping into the water. Bad luck it was, because the water was deep enough, there were no rocks nearby and many people have made this jump before without any problems. Luckily the guide and my girlfriend could drag me out of the water. Now what would you expect while lying injured on a rock, being in the middle of nowhere? I expected nothing, I just hoped that somebody, somehow, would be able to get me to a hospital.
The guide raced down the canyon in world record time to get help and brought back the heroes of the National Sea and Rescue Institute (NSRI), Metro and the SA Police. The job to be done? Getting me safely over several slippery waterfalls varying from 1 to 4 meters, this with me strapped on their life boat. Furthermore getting me up a 45-degree hill through a dense forest. I now am aware that NSRI are volunteers. You guys not only sacrificed your free time to rescue me, but also invest your time in training, which makes you capable to perform these operations. From my stretcher I could see you sweating from the extreme work you were performing. Moreover I could see you guys slip and fall due to the terrain, but you always made sure I did not. You really put other people’s life and welfare before that of your own.
I want to thank all who were involved in the rescue operation for all you did to get me out of the canyon. I also want to tell you how much I appreciated your visits in the hospital. Of course I’m also very thankful to the guide, police, the ambulance and the nurses and doctors of the hospital.
Despite my injury I am very glad that I visited this beautiful country, and moreover I am happy I’ve met all these special and so very caring people. From now on I will associate South Africa with: Nelson Mandela, good food, wines, the big five, beautiful nature and the most sincerely caring people of the world.
Kind regards,
Dennis
26 Nov 2014
Earlier in November, the NSRI was called out to a remote part of the Drupkelders hiking trail near Rheenendal in the Knysna Forest to assist injured Dutch tourist Dennis van Duivenbode. Two weeks later, he wrote to the NSRI. His letter reveals something about South Africa that you’ll want to hear.
The Drupkelders trail is only 3.6km long, but cliff faces and dense foliage make it highly inaccessible. It was suspected that Van Duivenbode had fractured his spine when he jumped into a rock pool.
During Van Duivenbode’s rescue, six NSRI Knysna rescue swimmers – alerted by a hiking guide to the situation – swam upstream for about a kilometre, searching for the stranded hiker and his partner. The swim involved traversing numerous waterfalls. They discovered Van Duivenbode in a serious condition. They applied full spinal immobilisation and loaded the injured Van Duivenbode into a Stokes Basket sea rescue stretcher.
The NSRI swimmers then guided the stretcher downstream. The terrain was tough and the weather conditions were worsening, but Van Duivenbode was delivered safely to waiting paramedics (read the full story here). After his discharge from hospital on 18 November, the Dutch national wrote this letter to the NSRI.
Dear Jerome,
I’m leaving the hospital today and will be transported back to Amsterdam. Could you please forward my message to the guys (NSRI, Metro and police) who were involved in my evacuation out of the Drupkelders?
I’ve never been to South Africa before. And up to two weeks ago I would have associated South Africa with: Nelson Mandela, good food, wines, the big five, and of course beautiful nature.
During our holiday we visited museums and read about Madiba’s intriguing life and South Africa’s past. We tasted great food, along with tasteful South African wine, always served with extraordinary hospitality. We saw two of the big five in the beautiful Addo Elephant Park. We visited the marvelous Table Mountain, enjoyed the stunning view from Lion’s Head and experienced the spectacular Drupkelders in Knysna.
After kloofing upstream through the magnificent canyon and climbing up some waterfalls I got injured while jumping into the water. Bad luck it was, because the water was deep enough, there were no rocks nearby and many people have made this jump before without any problems. Luckily the guide and my girlfriend could drag me out of the water. Now what would you expect while lying injured on a rock, being in the middle of nowhere? I expected nothing, I just hoped that somebody, somehow, would be able to get me to a hospital.
The guide raced down the canyon in world record time to get help and brought back the heroes of the National Sea and Rescue Institute (NSRI), Metro and the SA Police. The job to be done? Getting me safely over several slippery waterfalls varying from 1 to 4 meters, this with me strapped on their life boat. Furthermore getting me up a 45-degree hill through a dense forest. I now am aware that NSRI are volunteers. You guys not only sacrificed your free time to rescue me, but also invest your time in training, which makes you capable to perform these operations. From my stretcher I could see you sweating from the extreme work you were performing. Moreover I could see you guys slip and fall due to the terrain, but you always made sure I did not. You really put other people’s life and welfare before that of your own.
I want to thank all who were involved in the rescue operation for all you did to get me out of the canyon. I also want to tell you how much I appreciated your visits in the hospital. Of course I’m also very thankful to the guide, police, the ambulance and the nurses and doctors of the hospital.
Despite my injury I am very glad that I visited this beautiful country, and moreover I am happy I’ve met all these special and so very caring people. From now on I will associate South Africa with: Nelson Mandela, good food, wines, the big five, beautiful nature and the most sincerely caring people of the world.
Kind regards,
Dennis