Teams of volunteers and professionals from Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) responded after a model ended up stuck on a ledge at Dappat Se Gat in Cape Town while attempting to retrieve her bag which was snatched by a baboon late on Monday afternoon.
Mariana Keyser said she was doing a model shoot on the beach between the Steenbras River mouth and Kogel Bay beach when a baboon grabbed her bag.
“As soon as I saw the baboon had left my bag alone and left, I started climbing up to retrieve it.
When I reached my bag, I looked down and only then realised how high up I was,” Keyser said.
She thought it would be easier to keep going up, but when she was about three metres from the top, she saw all the moss and decided not go any further.
“I found some ground to stand on and asked my photographer to please get some help,” Keyser said.
An urgent call was made to the emergency number 021 937 0300.
Once on the scene, a rescuer abseiled down to her. She was placed into a rescue harness and lowered down the rest of the seaside cliff.
A drone from the Western Cape government health and wellness EMS drone unit was used to monitor the team’s progress down the cliff, while also alerting them to the movements of the remaining baboons. WSAR said the drone's presence, together with its powerful spotlight, drove off the wary troop.
“Two baboons came to sit right next to me. I thought about climbing up again but knew that it would be better to wait. I started singing calming songs to try to remain calm. I only got stressed out when a baby baboon wanted to come to me, It’s the only time the male baboon got a little aggressive.
“As soon as it was dark, the baby went to sleep, so they calmed down. The baboons sat next to me while I waited for help, the whole time.”
When help arrived, the baboons moved away.
“I have never been so happy in my life to see a person and we abseiled down,” said Keyser.
The rescue was concluded shortly after 11pm on Monday.
TimesLIVE
Model left stranded on cliff while trying to recover bag from thieving baboon
Journalist
Image: Wilderness Search and Rescue
Teams of volunteers and professionals from Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) responded after a model ended up stuck on a ledge at Dappat Se Gat in Cape Town while attempting to retrieve her bag which was snatched by a baboon late on Monday afternoon.
Mariana Keyser said she was doing a model shoot on the beach between the Steenbras River mouth and Kogel Bay beach when a baboon grabbed her bag.
“As soon as I saw the baboon had left my bag alone and left, I started climbing up to retrieve it.
When I reached my bag, I looked down and only then realised how high up I was,” Keyser said.
She thought it would be easier to keep going up, but when she was about three metres from the top, she saw all the moss and decided not go any further.
“I found some ground to stand on and asked my photographer to please get some help,” Keyser said.
An urgent call was made to the emergency number 021 937 0300.
Once on the scene, a rescuer abseiled down to her. She was placed into a rescue harness and lowered down the rest of the seaside cliff.
A drone from the Western Cape government health and wellness EMS drone unit was used to monitor the team’s progress down the cliff, while also alerting them to the movements of the remaining baboons. WSAR said the drone's presence, together with its powerful spotlight, drove off the wary troop.
“Two baboons came to sit right next to me. I thought about climbing up again but knew that it would be better to wait. I started singing calming songs to try to remain calm. I only got stressed out when a baby baboon wanted to come to me, It’s the only time the male baboon got a little aggressive.
“As soon as it was dark, the baby went to sleep, so they calmed down. The baboons sat next to me while I waited for help, the whole time.”
When help arrived, the baboons moved away.
“I have never been so happy in my life to see a person and we abseiled down,” said Keyser.
The rescue was concluded shortly after 11pm on Monday.
TimesLIVE
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