Oribi teacher survives horror plunge into gorge

Melanie Wessels (29) from Oribi Gorge is counting her blessings after surviving a terrifying crash that saw her vehicle roll about 100 metres down a steep gorge at the Oribi Nature Reserve recently.

Wessels, who lives in Paddock and works as a preschool teacher in Oribi, has travelled the road daily for the past three years.

On the day of the accident, she left work at around 12:00 and briefly stopped to speak to her husband, who works in security in the area. Shortly afterwards, while navigating a sharp bend, she heard what sounded like metal coming loose from her car. Within seconds, she lost control.

Her Opel Corsa Lite flipped and rolled down the cliff.

“The rolling felt endless,” she recalled. “I remember begging God to please stop the car because I couldn’t endure it anymore.”

The vehicle eventually came to a halt against a small tree stump – a detail Wessels believes saved her life.

She was left hanging upside down in the wreckage. With a full tank of fuel and the smell of petrol filling the vehicle, she feared it could catch alight or slide further down the slope at any moment. Disorientated and unable to find the ignition to switch off the engine, she knew she had to get out.

Despite the steep, unstable terrain, Wessels managed to lower her seat, force the door open and crawl out of the wreckage. The climb back up proved equally harrowing.

The loose soil and sharp debris caused her to slip repeatedly, and at one point her leg became trapped under the vehicle. Injured, dizzy and exhausted, she continued crawling and calling for help in the remote area, where her car was not visible from the road.

Eventually, her screams were heard and helped arrived. Members of Saps and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife responded to the scene.

Wessels expressed particular gratitude to Constable Fikile Ntsebesha from Saps Paddock, who descended the dangerous slope to reach her despite being warned of the risks. The officer helped support her back up to the roadside. She also thanked a family who heard her cries and alerted Saps, as well as KZN Private Ambulance for their swift response.

She was transported to Murchison Hospital, where medical scans confirmed she had sustained no brain bleeding and no fractures. Although she did suffer physical injuries, nothing was broken. She was discharged later that day.

Wessels said the emotional impact has been profound.

“When you’re in a normal road accident, you know someone will see you. Help will come. In that gorge, I had no such certainty,” she said.

In the aftermath of the crash, Natal Recovery reached out with compassion and care, offering to retrieve and store the Opel from the bottom of the gorge – which they have since done.

Her husband, Adriaan has since secured a vehicle for the couple, with Kia offering what she described as an incredible deal after hearing her story. Funds raised so far will go towards the first instalments of the new vehicle until she is fully back on her feet and able to resume her photography work.

Now recovering at home, Wessels says she is deeply grateful to be alive and credits her survival to her faith, as well as the swift response of emergency personnel and the outpouring of community support.

“I am beyond grateful to be alive,” she said.

Those wishing to assist can find her fundraiser on BackaBuddy, ‘Help me feel safe on the road’.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram