WESTERN CAPE. — A woman (47) who became exhausted during a hike on Table Mountain along the Platteklip Gorge was able to walk down the mountain on her own feet on Saturday evening with the help of an exoskeleton (robotic legs) in use. This is the first time that this technology has been used during a mountain rescue in South Africa.
According to Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR), the family started up the Platteklip ravine on Saturday afternoon. After the cable car closed for the day, the family called the emergency number 021 937 0300 early to let them know they were starting to descend and might need assistance. A small rescue team, including a paramedic from the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness emergency services, met them.
When the 47-year-old woman struggled to continue walking due to exhaustion, a battery-powered Hypershell exoskeleton was fitted around her hips and thighs. The device supported her movements and enabled her to walk down the steep slopes with the rescue team's support. The rescue was completed shortly after 23:00 and the entire family came safely off the mountain.
WSAR praised the family for asking for help early before the situation became an emergency. Hikers are advised to start early, check the cable car's operating times, bring a torch, water and warm clothes, and save the rescue team's emergency number, 021 937 0300, on their phones.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
