Australian man rescued following hiking fall

Graeme Harding, NSRI Knysna station commander, said: 'At midday (Monday, 24th September) NSRI Knysna volunteer rescue crew were activated following a request for assistance from a hiking tour group reporting a man fallen, while walking on a hiking trail, and sustained injuries, on the Featherbed Trail, on the sea side of the Western Knysna Head.'Our NSRI Knysna volunteer sea rescue duty crew launched our sea rescue craft JT Rescuer and Spirit of KYC and responded.'On arrival our NSRI rescuers hiked to the position of the injured hiker, at Needles, and he was found to have sustained head injuries and lacerations to both of his knees sustained when he reportedly fell while walking with a tour group on the Featherbed Trail.'Our NSRI medics stabilized the patient, Brian Smith, 73, from Bonnels Bay, Newcastle, Australia. 'The patient was secured into a stokes basket stretcher and our NSRI volunteers carried him from Needles, on the mountain, past the Western Knysna Head, to Coffin Bay, approximately just under a kilometer, where he was loaded into an ER24 ambulance and transported to hospital in a stable condition.'The patient has been treated in hospital where he will remain overnight for observation and he remains in a stable condition.'A tour guide accompanied the patient to hospital and the tour guide is assisting with logistics.'It appears that the patient may have stumbled causing him to fall while hiking.' Pic: Jolanda Meyer