The recent widespread flooding in the Western Cape not only left countless people homeless, but also left people stranded with no way for rescue workers to reach them.
This is exactly what happened to a school group who spent the past long weekend at a resort and are now trapped there.
The Oudtshoorn local municipality says a group of 72 scholars and ten adults from the Aliwal‑Noord Primary School in the Eastern Cape were trapped at the Kango mountain resort near Oudtshoorn.
“The heavy rain caused the Le Roux river, which flows through the resort, to flood and this is now causing the group to be trapped in the resort,” says the municipality.
The mass of water that flows from the Raubenheimer Dam’s spillway flows through the Kango mountain resort. A little further on, this water joins the Grobbelaars River, which is also running strong and has already flooded bridges in the town.
On Tuesday, it was arranged that a helicopter deliver a variety of food and drinks to the stranded group.
“The helicopter is on standby to deliver essentials for the school children and adults until the flood waters recede and the roads become passable again,” says the municipality.
“Fortunately, no one has been injured at this stage, and everyone appears to be healthy.”
The municipality’s disaster management team has undertaken to monitor the state of affairs and ensure that the scholars and their teachers return home safely.
If the weather permits and it stops raining, the group should be able to cross the river safely on Wednesday.
