NATIONAL NEWS: Couple rescued from dangling aircraft in Rustenburg (video and pictures)
For hours they were too scared to move
After dangling in the air for about five hours on Friday morning, a man and woman were rescued from their light aircraft entangled in a zip-line about 300m above the ground at a resort outside Rustenburg.
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— 1Second (@1SecondLater) September 28, 2018
Light Aircraft is entangled in mid air caught in the zip lines at sun city. 2 elderly occupants. This is a Developing Story@1SecondLater @ewnupdates @IOL @FatalMoves @LimaCharlie1 pic.twitter.com/fKDYyHnr1S
ER24 paramedics, along with provincial services, the police and mountain search and rescue, were called to the scene after the aircraft had become entangled in the zip-line at about 8.30am.
According to Russel Meiring, spokesperson for ER24, rescue services utilised various high-angle rescue techniques to reach the patients in the aircraft.
After some time, rescuers reached the aircraft and found the man and woman inside the aircraft. Rescue personnel equipped both patients with harnesses and began to lower them to awaiting paramedics 300m below. Once safely on the ground, paramedics found both patients had fortunately escaped injury.
Meiring said both were transported to a nearby private hospital for further assessment.
“They explained to paramedics that the only thing they could do was not to move as they were scared that the aircraft would fall. At this stage it is not clear why they could not call for help earlier.
“It is believed a member of the public noticed the aircraft this afternoon and called emergency services. The details surrounding the incident are not yet known but local authorities were on the scene for further investigations,” Meiring said.
