A British woman was injured and had to be airlifted from the Otter Trail on Monday after slipping and falling while on a hike.

According to Lodewyk van Rensburg, NSRI Oyster Bay and NSRI Storms River station commander, NSRI was activated at 13:10 after reports of a lady injured on the trail at the waterfall west of the Storms River mouth in the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park.

“On a hike with her husband, the female British tourist reportedly slipped and fell, sustaining injuries. Hikers passing by the couple raised the alarm after hiking further along the hiking trail to get a cellphone signal,” Van Rensburg explains.

He says SANParks rangers, NSRI Storms River crew, NSRI Oyster Bay crew and private care ambulance services were activated. WC Government Health EMS were placed on alert and the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter was activated by EMS Metro Control.

“On arrival at the scene, medical treatment was commenced for serious injuries the lady had sustained in a fall. The patient was stabilised and prepared to be extricated from the barely accessible terrain,” he explains.

“In the care of paramedics the rescue helicopter airlifted the female to a landing zone where she was transferred into an ambulance and transported to hospital in a serious but stable condition where she is recovering with ongoing medical treatment. The swift response is commended.”