Two Polish tourists’ desire to camp in the South African bushveld took an unexpected turn when they got lost on a hiking trail at Bourke’s Luck Potholes.

They did, however, get to spend a night under the stars.

ALSO READ: Schoemanskloof truck accident: Critically injured driver airlifted to hospital after truck overturns

Jolanta Antosz (33) and Klaudia Kolasińska (30) embarked on a five-hour hike along the Belvedere Trail yesterday (November 13) at around 10:25.

They got lost inside the Blyde River Canyon after missing a trail marker.

Thomas Msiza, acting spokesperson and head of communications for the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), confirmed that rangers had been waiting for them and were concerned when they did not return within the specified timeframe.

“This trail is known for being long and difficult, and if hikers are not back by 16:30, rangers know something is wrong.”

Antosz and Kolasińska noticed they were no longer on the correct path after walking for hours in the canyon. “We walked for another three hours and struggled to find our way back,” Kolasińska shared.

Rangers were immediately deployed to find the hikers, but the search was halted due to fading light.

ALSO READ: Man sentenced to 25 years for murder of German tourist

At around 18:00, Antosz and Kolasińska decided to call for help. They stopped at a flat rock and tried to call the 112 emergency number, but struggled because the signal was weak.

“Around 22:00 we managed to get to one bar and finally got through to one of the rangers,” Kolasińska explained.

The rangers advised the hikers to send a pin location to Kolasińska’s brother, as they had international SIM cards and could only communicate directly with him. Her brother then shared the information with the rangers.

Lafras Tremper, vice-president and head of the reaction force of the Hoedspruit Farm Watch, confirmed that they received the pin location at around midnight and offered their helicopter free of charge to help with the search.

WATCH: 

The following morning, the helicopter was despatched with a team on board. They found the women close to the flat rock. When they were found, the helicopter was unable to land due to uneven terrain, and the hikers had to jump on board while it hovered.

“When I jumped in, I started crying and was relieved that we had been saved,” Kolasińska said.

When the two explorers arrived back at the reception, they were overwhelmed with tender kindness from rangers and emergency services. “The helicopter even dropped us right next to our rental car,” Kolasińska laughingly shared.

ALSO READ: Two Belgian tourists killed in head-on crash in Mpumalanga

Lowvelder met with them at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) to find out how they survived the night. Antosz said they only had a packet of peanuts left, which they shared sparingly, and no water.

“My brother assured us that there were no wild animals in the canyon and that we would be safe,” Kolasińska laughingly shared. She said they held each other tight while trying to sleep next to the rock where they were found.

“We only wore long-sleeved shirts and had no jackets to keep us warm,” Kolasińska said.

It was the duo’s first time in South Africa, but not likely their last. Friends, who met at university and recently started travelling together, they arrived in the country four days ago.

They visited the Kruger National Park and said that they loved the animals.

With little sleep, they hopped onto their next flight to explore the rest of the country.

“We hope to visit the Berlin Falls next time, since our hike was a bit longer than anticipated,” they jokingly concluded.