HOEDSPRUIT – A planned five-hour hike turned into an overnight ordeal for Polish tourists Jolanta Andzelika (33) and Klaudia Dorota (30) after they became lost in the Blyde River Canyon on November 13.

Trail marker missed as hikers go off route

The women set off along the Belvedere Trail at around 10:25, but missed a trail marker and soon found themselves off course.

Thomas Msiza, acting spokesperson and head of communications for the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), said rangers were alerted when the hikers failed to return on time.

“This trail is known for being long and challenging. If hikers aren’t back by 16:30, rangers know something is wrong,” he said.

After several hours of walking, Andzelika and Dorota realised they were no longer on the correct path. “We walked for another three hours and struggled to find our way back,” Dorota said.

Despite their efforts, the terrain proved difficult, and the canyon’s dense foliage made navigation nearly impossible.

Nightfall halts initial rescue attempts

Rangers were immediately deployed to locate the hikers, but the search had to be paused as darkness fell.

The women attempted to call the emergency number 112 from a flat rock at around 18:00, but poor signal coverage made it nearly impossible to reach help.

“Around 22:00, we finally managed to get to a point where we got a one-bar signal and contacted one of the rangers,” Dorota explained.

Because they were using international SIM cards, the rangers could not communicate directly with them. They advised Dorota to send a pin location to her brother, who then relayed it to the rescue team.

Hoedspruit Farm Watch deploys helicopter

Lafras Tremper, vice-president and head of the reaction force of the Hoedspruit Farm Watch, confirmed that the team received the location around midnight and offered their helicopter free of charge to assist with the rescue.

The following morning, the helicopter was dispatched with Hoedspruit Farm Watch members on board. The team located the women near the flat rock, but the terrain was too uneven to land.

Andzelika and Dorota had to jump into the hovering helicopter to be rescued.

“When I jumped in, I started crying. It was such a relief to be saved,” Dorota said.

Upon their return to the trailhead, the hikers were met with the warmth and support of rangers and emergency personnel.

“The helicopter even dropped us right next to our rental car,” she said, laughing.

The rangers said the incident highlights the dangers of hiking in challenging terrain and the importance of preparedness, navigation tools, and communication with local authorities.