Fire-stranded trail runner praises heroic rescue

A trail runner has praised “heroic” fire and rescue members who brought him to safety after he was stranded on top of Junction Peak surrounded by fire on Sunday morning.

A small Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) team responded after runner James Norbury reported that he was stranded.

According Norbury, he had intended to race from the coffee box at the base of Platteklip Gorge, starting at 8am, across the back table to the coffee box at Constantia Neck and was not aware of the fire that had started above Kirstenbosch late on Saturday.

“I was running down Smuts Track from MacClears Beacon and turned right onto the Aquaduct Trail towards the Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir.

“I was focused on running the technical trail quickly and hardly noticed the mist as I descended the trail.

“It was only when I smelt the smoke and felt the heat, that I realised that I’d run into a fire.”

“I immediately turned back and followed the trail away from the fire, but when I got back to the Smuts Track junction I was surrounded by flames and smoke,” said Norbury.

With the fire driven by strong winds, now on all sides and no safe escape possible, Norbury was forced up the side of Junction Peak.

He called the WSAR emergency number shortly before 10am. In a co-ordinated rescue effort with fire agencies, a small rescue team accompanied by NCC Wildfires firefighters set out from the Waterworks Museum on the back of Table Mountain, across the dry Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir, to find Norbury. Rain had extinguished the fire on Smuts Track, and Norbury was able to make his way down to meet his rescuers.

“Firefighters expertly guided the team back through the smoke and smouldering fire to the vehicles,” WSAR said.

Norbury praised the heroic fire teams for their dedication and the valuable advice they shared telephonically while he waited to be rescued.

“They told me to look for a burnt or rocky area to shelter in, where the fire wouldn’t reach me and to stay put until they could co-ordinate a rescue, to avoid moving too much in the thick smoke and to cover my face and eyes.

“I could hear helicopters, and at one point one water-bombed the area where I was sheltering, drenching the area, and extinguishing the flames.” WSAR can be contacted on 021 937 0300.

Cape Times