Air Force lifts injured Magaliesberg hiker to safety

The SAAF 17 Squadron Oryx helicopter used to hoist the injured hiker out of a Magaliesberg kloof after sunset.

Platinum Weekly newspaper | Magaliesberg – An eight-metre fall left a hiker with multiple spinal fractures on Sunday afternoon, 13 September 2026, prompting a challenging helicopter rescue after dark by the South African Air Force (SAAF) and mountain rescue specialists.

According to Mountain Search and Rescue (MSAR), the man fell from a rock outcrop, struck rocks and landed in a pool. His hiking companions helped him out of the water to prevent hypothermia, then kept him immobile and called for assistance.

A Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) Gauteng rescue team and a paramedic rushed to the scene while an Oryx helicopter crew from SAAF 17 Squadron received permission to prepare for the operation. The rescuers faced a difficult decision. Helicopter operations after dark carry greater risks and require considerable skill, but carrying a patient with serious spinal injuries over the kloof’s steep, rough terrain could have caused further harm. A night hoist was considered the safer option for the injured man.

The ground team treated his pain and fully immobilised him on a stretcher and vacuum mattress. Arriving after sunset, the helicopter hoisted the stretcher and a rescuer out of the kloof before returning to Pretoria, where the hiker was admitted to hospital in a stable but critical condition. MSAR praised the crew’s expertise, highlighting the specialised training needed to conduct night hoist rescues using night vision goggles. The organisation explained that maintaining this capability is not commercially viable for most private helicopter emergency medical service providers, making the SAAF a valuable resource when other rescue options are limited.

The operation took place as Air Force crews were preparing for the Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo 2026 at Waterkloof Air Force Base. For this hiker, those capabilities served a far more immediate purpose: bringing him to safety when the terrain and darkness made rescue especially difficult.

MSAR wished him a full recovery, acknowledging the long and difficult journey ahead.