Father, son rescued in Limpopo’s Wolkberg mountains

TZANEEN – A weekend off-road adventure in the Wolkberg mountains nearly turned tragic when a father and son became stranded in the notoriously challenging “23 Crossings” route, prompting a coordinated rescue effort by friends and family.

Search launched after contact lost

The pair had set off on Friday, March 20, in a single 4×4 vehicle, informing family that if there was no contact by Sunday afternoon, help should be sought.

When communication failed, concern quickly escalated.

Friends and family mobilise for rescue mission

A call between friends, Rouan Snyman and Carl Lechner, sparked immediate action, with a group of experienced off-roaders mobilising without hesitation to search the rugged terrain.

The rescuers met the missing pair’s wife and daughter near Moria before proceeding up the Wolkberg road toward the campsite.

Security at the site confirmed that the vehicle had entered the area on Friday, raising alarm as there had been no recorded exit.

Initially, the group searched along the mountain routes leading toward the start of the 23 Crossings trail.

However, lacking sufficient supplies and anticipating that the missing pair might already be on their way back, they made the difficult decision to return to Haenertsburg to regroup and gather essential equipment, including food, water, and camping gear.

By Sunday evening, the search team returned better prepared and camped near the first river crossing, planning to begin a thorough search at first light on Monday.

Despite some resistance to the plan, the team believed this approach would maximise their chances of success.

Father and son found alive

“Navigating the route proved extremely difficult. The area was heavily overgrown, with deep, water-filled ruts and strong river currents complicating progress,” said Snyman.

Using a winch and teamwork, the group slowly advanced through the dense bush, at times leaving their vehicles to search for tyre tracks and determine the likely path taken by the missing vehicle.

Their persistence paid off on Monday morning when, after hours of searching, they heard a shout from the bush.

The missing father and son emerged, exhausted, injured, and covered in mud, but alive.

Vehicle recovery and gruelling return

According to the pair, their vehicle had become stuck on Saturday when the riverbank collapsed beneath them as they accessed a crossing point.

Suspected erosion from previous flooding had weakened the bank, causing the vehicle to tip nose-first into the river.

Despite spending two days attempting to recover the vehicle using improvised methods, they were unsuccessful.

Rescuers worked for several hours to retrieve the stranded vehicle using winches, snatch straps, and pulley systems.

The return journey proved equally gruelling, with worsening conditions and multiple recovery operations required along the muddy route.

Safe return to the campsite

The convoy only reached the Wolkberg campsite late Monday afternoon.