[imagesource:gencraftai]

A family has been left in mourning after their loved one decided to find his own way down Table Mountain only to lose his life.

A team of professionals and volunteers from Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) headed out to Table Mountain Friday night when they got word that a foreign tourist was MIA.

According to a family member, the 63-year-old hiker had it in mind to trek down the Mother City mountain after setting off from the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Upper Cableway Station around 3PM on Friday.

A little while later, he gave them a ring, saying he was lost and aiming to turn around and make his way back to the Upper Cableway Station.

Unfortunately, this seems to have been a dire choice, as he was reported missing on Friday evening after numerous failed attempts to contact him.

Arrive Alive reports that WSAR teams, including a drone from the Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness EMS Drone Unit, commenced with a rapid search of the trails leading down from the patient’s last known position.

The search was suspended late on Friday night after not being able to find him. The next morning, the search continued:

A large, multi-agency search, including technical rescuers, hikers, trail-runners, SANParks – Table Mountain National Park rangers, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement officers, SAPS WPDS, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness EMS Drone Unit and K9 SAR, commenced early on Saturday morning, with numerous teams dispatched onto the trails.

Around midday, the K9 named Sage sniffed the scent and guided her crew to a spot below Fountain Ledge, where they managed to spot the lost hiker.

Image: WSAR

Tragically, he was found deceased.

His remains were placed into a stretcher and hoisted up to the EMS helicopter before being flown to a nearby landing zone and handed over to SAPS members.

WSAR said they extend their heartfelt sympathy to the friends and family of the deceased at this sad time.

[source:arrivealive]