FEATURE
THE TRAIL RUNNERS ON THE FRONT LINE OF MOUNTAIN RESCUES
When things go wrong deep in the mountains, these highly trained trail runners work alongside medics, rescue crews and helicopter teams, racing across rugged terrain to become the first responders on scene.
By Leigh de Necker
On any given weekend in the Western Cape, thousands of people head into the mountains. From the slopes of Table Mountain to the trails of Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, the region offers world-class access to the outdoors.
But these mountains are not forgiving.
When things go wrong, a coordinated system activates behind the scenes- Wilderness Search and Rescue( WSAR)- bringing together government agencies and volunteer teams to locate, treat, and extract people from difficult terrain. Within this system, Trail Search and Rescue( Trail SAR) plays a critical role: reaching incidents quickly, stabilising situations early, and supporting the broader rescue effort.
How mountain rescue works WSAR operates under the Western Cape Government as a multi-agency network. Each callout draws on a combination of skills, depending on the patient condition, location, terrain and hazards including weather and rivers.
Some of the key role players include:
• Emergency Medical Services and Air Mercy Service( AMS)( Medical Care and Helicopter Rescues)
• Mountain Club of South Africa( Volunteer technical rescues teams)
• SARZA( Volunteer search & rescue teams)
• K9 Search & Rescue( Volunteer K9( dog) search & rescue)
• SANParks and CapeNature rangers( Landowners, Access & Search & Rescue)
Photo courtesy of: Leigh de Necker, Chris Jacobs, Blake Dyason
Leigh de Necker- Marine biologist, endurance athlete and member of Wilderness Search & Rescue
40 www. modernathlete. co. za