Father and son rescued after being lost in the mountains
When the students reached the bottom of the mountain range, they realised that two of their party were missing and raised the alarm.
The IEC’s Moulana Aslam Sheik and his 13-year-old son Ahmed from Ladysmith were safely rescued on Monday afternoon by ‘Workling with Fire’ staff, KZN Wildlife rangers and the SAPS Rescue Unit after they got lost in the Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.
The duo spent a long, cold night on a cliff face, waiting to be rescued.
Moulana Aslam embarked on a hiking trip with a few students from the Islamic Educational Centre (IEC) of Ladysmith on Sunday. The unofficial trip was, however, a routine one for the Moulana, who regularly takes students on hiking trips and outings.
While seeking an alternate route back to the Royal National Park after a long day of hiking, Moulana Aslam and Ahmed were separated from the rest of the students and got lost as night closed in around them.
When the students reached the bottom of the mountain range, they realised that two of their party were missing and raised the alarm.
KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife staff immediately began a manhunt of the missing father and son. The father and son team climbed up the mountain and found a cave, where they sought shelter after they realised they were lost and would not be able to find the park before dark.
Rescuers searching the area were spotted by the stranded duo, who used a torch to highlight their position. The rescuers were members of ‘Working with Fire’, who had been asked to help with the search. Once contact had been made, the rescuers attempted to reach the trapped duo. Because of the distance between the rangers and the two hikers, it was decided that any rescue attempt would only be tried the following day. So Ahmed and Aslam had no choice but to settle in for a cold and hungry night on the mountain.
Captain Jack Haskins of the Pietermaritzburg K9 Police Rescue Unit confirmed that they had been deployed as soon as the two were reported missing.
The hikers were found by the police air wing, being guided down the mountain by ‘Working with Fire’ staff, and successfully airlifted back to the Royal National Park.
Moulana Aslam and Ahmed suffered no injuries other than being extremely exhausted and hungry after spending the night on the mountain.
“The rescue was a combined operation between the K9 Rescue Unit, the Mountain Rescue Club, Working with Fire, KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife rangers and the police air wing,” expressed a delighted Captain Haskins.
Update:
Islamic Education Centre Principal Mr RG Reddy had this to say:
As a school and as a community, the last 24 hours was harrowing and nerve-wracking for all us. It is not a pleasant experience to know that two people are missing in a mountainous terrain, and there is nothing one can do but wait. A word of praise for the chairperson of the Board of Governors, Dawood Vawda, and members Goolam Hoosen Hansa, Mahomed Omar and Riaz Fakir who worked throughout the night with the Rangers to locate the missing Moulana and his son. Appreciation to everyone who maintained a night-long vigil and for their prayers and support.
