Woman lives after 90m fall down Lisbon Falls

GRASKOP – Miraculously, the woman, who chose to remain anonymous, survived to tell the tale. The group had arrived at the waterfall at about 16:00 on Tuesday, visiting from Cape Town.

“She was taking pictures when she slipped and started tumbling down the steep cliff,” said Danie Theron of Off Road Rescue Unit (Orru), who had battled until 01:00 on Wednesday to get her to safety.

Her friends could still communicate with her, but it was difficult to ascertain exactly where she was, which made the rescue mission all the more difficult. “They knew she had hit a rock ledge.” That is when they phoned Orru for emergency assistance.

“We arrived at the scene at around 19:00,” said Theron, adding that it was pitch black and difficult to pinpoint her exact location.

“I then abseiled down, only to realise I was in the wrong position. I then had to climb back up, and luckily located her in my second attempt.”

Miraculously, she came away almost unscathed. “Considering the height she had fallen, it is astonishing she only sustained injuries to her right wrist, left knee, her ankles were sprained and she had bruised her ribs,” he said.

Theron added that a long and arduous journey upwards then started. “I secured her body to mine using rope. Together we battled the steep ascent,” he said, adding that she was very courageous in their attempts to reach safety.

“It took hours. When we had about 30m left to go, she was no longer able to climb. I myself was exhausted. The rest of the climb we were faced with, was sheer.”

He called in the help of two Orru teammates who descended to their level and assisted them the rest of the way up. Theron said it was around nine hours later when they eventually reached safety.

Already exhausted, the team stretchered her to an ER24 ambulance. She was rushed to Mediclinic Nelspruit where she is being treated for her injuries.