View area road might be closed
George Municipality mulls options after yet another death at notorious Voëlklip site
THE road that leads to the notorious viewing area at Voëlklip in Herolds Bay, where at least five people have plunged to their deaths over the past four months, might be closed to the public.
A motorist believed to be in his forties became the latest person to perish there when his car went over a cliff along Voëlklip Road on Wednesday.
His death followed that of a 50-year-old man in December, and those of 35-year-old Heidi Scheepers and her two children – her 6-year-old daughter Cozette and 2-year-old son Hugo – in October.
George Municipality said last month that it would consult the owner of the privately-owned land on which the dirt road was situated about introducing safety measures, but following that the municipality said it had emerged that the road was an unproclaimed provincial road.
Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) spokesperson Jandré Bakker said yesterday that the department was weighing its options regarding improving safety on the road or closing it to the public.
“The DTPW attended a meeting facilitated by the George Municipality. Closing the road would require a member of the public to submit an application to the district municipality to have the road closed, after which a legal and public participation process would begin. Those in attendance at the meeting were not in favour of closing the road,” Bakker said.
Southern Cape police spokesperson Christopher Spies said no foul play was suspected in the motorist’s death on Wednesday.
“A preliminary investigation reveals that a white Ford EcoSport, a rental vehicle, went over a cliff at about 8.38am. A member of the public alerted emergency services about the incident and a search and rescue team was immediately dispatched to the scene,” Spies said.
“Upon arrival they noticed the body of a man, and he was declared dead by paramedics. The body of the deceased was later airlifted from the scene. No foul play is suspected; the investigation continues.”
Medics said the man’s vehicle came to a standstill in the sea. ER24 said: “Rescue technicians immediately rigged a rope rescue system and made their way to the patient. At the bottom of the cliff, rescue personnel found that the man had been ejected from the vehicle and had sustained several injuries.
“The SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service helicopter was called to the scene to airlift the body to the roadside. Once the man had been retrieved, medics found that the man had already succumbed to his numerous injuries.”