German tourist tells of Berg ordeal
A 19-YEAR-OLD German tourist who fell 30m while hiking in the Drakensberg and spent a night out in the open has spoken of his ordeal.
Julian Schenk, is in KwaZulu-Natal on holiday, and three friends were making their way down from Cathedral Peak on Saturday when he lost his footing.
He tumbled down and landed on the edge of a ledge – narrowly escaping falling another 60m.
Fellow hiker Mike Pflueger, an American, who drove Schenk home from hospital yesterday, described how their concerns worsened when he did not respond to them calling him.
“I had the breath knocked out of me so I couldn’t answer,” Schenk said. “It was a real dramatic experience… It hurt quite a lot. I landed on my back.”
Robert McKenzie, spokesman for KZN Emergency Medical Services, said Schenk had “amazingly” come to a stop just 2m from the cliff edge.
“The other members of the group rushed to his assistance and found that he was stable but unable to walk. Some of the group returned to their resort and raised the alarm.
“By this time it was late afternoon and the weather didn’t permit a helicopter to fly in the area, so three members of the KZN branch of the Mountain Club of South Africa hiked up (to Schenk) and assisted him during the night,” McKenzie said.
Steve Cooke, of the Mountain Club of South Africa, said their volunteers had set off at 10pm and reached Schenk about 1am.
Another party of hikers – strangers – had provided them with food, warm clothes and blankets to see them through the night.
Around 6am on Saturday, Schenk was transported to Chief Albert Luthuli Hospital by an SA Air Force helicopter.
Schenk was discharged yesterday with a few bruises and scrapes, and a sheepish smile.
“He was very lucky it wasn’t much more serious,” Cooke said.
Asked whether his accident had put him off hiking, Schenk joked that he might take up butterfly hunting.