Tragic Cliff Fall at Natures Valley: Teenager from Cape Town Found Deceased by NSRI

Ross Badenhorst, NSRI Plettenberg Bay deputy station commander, said: At 10h47, Thursday, 18 December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a male fallen from a cliff at Natures Valley - Bull Se Baai, Garden Route National Park.

NSRI crew responded directly to the scene by road, the SA Police Services were alerted, ER24 ambulance services responded to stand by near to the scene, WC Government Health EMS, the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter and Police WPDS (Water Policing and Diving Services) were placed on alert.

2 NSRI rescue craft, The Courtenay's Rescuer and Rescue Ray, were launched, while a private boat, with NSRI crew onboard, nearby to the scene at the time, responded.

On arrival on the scene a search commenced for a 16 year old male teenager, from Cape Town, who had reportedly fallen from a height from a cliff, while on a hike. The teenager had fallen into the sea and he was missing.

During a search an NSRI JetRIB Rescue Ray was able to navigate into the mouth of a cave, timing the incoming wave sets, where an NSRI rescue swimmer was deployed from the rescue craft into the water to investigate inside Ouma and Oupa caves - in a rising tide - with waves washing into the cave - while the rescue craft retreated.

While searching in the cave the rescue swimmer  located the teenager who was was unresponsive with critical injuries.

Additional NSRI rescue swimmers and an NSRI doctor were deployed from the rescue craft into the water - they swam into the cave, timing incoming wave sets, where despite increasing wave surges in the rising tide, they secured the teenager into a floating stretcher and recovered the teenager, sadly deceased, onto the NSRI rescue craft - in cooperation in communications with the SA Police Services.

The body of the teenager was brought to the NSRI Plettenberg Bay station 14 rescue base where the body of the teenager was taken into the care of Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

Police have opened an Inquest docket.

Condolences are conveyed to the family and friends of the deceased teenager.