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Cape Town – A man who fell to his death from Table Mountain on Tuesday morning has not yet been identified, Western Cape police said.
A hiker discovered the body of a man near the Platteklip Gorge path, prompting police to open an inquest, said Captain FC van Wyk.
Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) said the man fell from the top of the mountain, on the Maclear Beacon side.
The Cape Town Central Police was at the scene and waiting for medics to issue an official death declaration.
Strong winds were hampering the removal of the body with a rescue helicopter.
At the time the call came through, the helicopter had been out of town transporting a patient.
When it got to the mountain, it first assisted a woman who had injured her shoulder in Woody Ravine, said WSAR spokesperson Johann Marais.
"By that time, the guys had already reported low clouds and strong winds. We’ve organised guys to go and assist them. It is going to be easier to carry the body up and across the mountain to the Cable Car."
By 16:00, the Table Mountain Cable Way’s operations were suspended. An alert on its Twitter account stated: "Temperature at the top is mild, wind strength is strong, visibility intermittent."
Marais said the alternative plan was for rescue teams to carry the body down on a stretcher.
Two teams of 10 people usually alternated carrying a stretcher down the path. The strenuous task could take up to five hours.
