Hiking deaths deemed ‘freak’ accident from falling rock

THE death of local guide Ian Slatem and the Chinese tourist on Table Mountain on New Year’s Day is now believed to have been a “freak” accident caused by a falling rock.

A SAPS source said police had interviewed the surviving Chinese woman the day after the incident and found “no wrong-doing”, so regarded the incident as “most likely a freak accident”.

Provincial director of Forensic Pathology Services Vonita Thompson has confirmed the identity of the 29-year-old Chinese tourist from Hong Kong as Manyee Chu.

Thompson said the bodies of Chu and Slatem had been admitted at the Salt River mortuary on January 2.

Autopsy reports have been handed over to the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Toua, but police have declined to release any details of the cause of death.

Initial reports suggested all three had fallen while abseiling down the cliff face directly below the Upper Cable Station, but it has been learned that they had been climbing up the well-known “Arrow Final” route.

The route is not regarded as particularly difficult by local climbing standards; and comprises three or four sections each separated by a ledge.

It now appears the accident was caused by a large rock that was dislodged and fell down and hit Chu on the head, killing her instantly. As she was apparently holding the rope to secure Slatem, he fell the full length of the rock face and was killed. It is not clear how else the rock might have been dislodged, as there was no one climbing above the group.

Within minutes of the accident, dramatic photographs and video appeared on social media sites. Video captured by tourists in the cable car shows the two Chinese tourists climbing the first section and a second video shows the two on a ledge at the top of the first section, while Slatem can be seen manoeuvring to the left on a ledge above.

It is believed that the accident happened soon afterwards. Photographs show the surviving climber attempting to administer CPR to the injured woman, and Slatem hanging from a rope below them.

Slatem, 60, was a retired geologist with many years of rock-climbing experience, but had only qualified as a commercial guide, registered with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, in 2016.

The incident left hundreds of tourists stranded on top of Table Mountain for about five hours, as Wilderness Search and Rescue used the cable car to rescue the surviving tourist, who was left stranded on the rock face.

The rescue team only managed to reach Slatem’s body close to midnight and confirmed he was dead. The two bodies were evacuated from the mountain at first light the following day.

The nature of the accident and the sex and nationality of the tourists were widely misreported. The two women were initially described as a “Japanese couple”.

Chinese government officials were not available for comment.