vertical-endeavour.com

February 05, 2008, 16:30

A search is underway near Cathedral Peak in the Drakensberg Mountains for a 73-year-old Scottish tourist, the Mountain Rescue Club of South Africa (MSCA) said today.

Rescue organiser Andy Wood said Michael Hetherington was believed to have last been seen on Saturday looking for directions to Cathedral Peak. Wood said Hetherington had checked into the Didima Camp near Cathedral Peak on Friday afternoon where he had signed the rescue register.

His car was found in the parking lot of the Cathedral Peak Hotel. Wood said a group of hikers later came across an elderly man, believed to be Hetherington, who was asking for directions to the peak.

A search team was activated late yesterday when it became apparent that Hetherington had not returned to Didima Camp. Jack Haskins, from the Police Search and Rescue Unit, said two dogs had been deployed to help in the search and a third dog would be brought in to assist.

Wood said the Police Air Wing had been deployed on an aerial search of the area while a 12-man search team from the MSCA was searching on foot. One could walk up Cathedral Peak, but, Woods said: "It's very steep. It's not for the faint-hearted. It's more like a scramble than a walk."

On Friday the area had been drenched with rain and this had been followed up on Sunday by extremely hot weather.

Wood appealed to anybody who may have been hiking or walking in the area during the weekend and had seen an elderly man to call the provincial Emergency Medical Rescue Service toll free number 0800-005133. - Sapa

Courtesy of www.sabcnews.com

Just phoned the guys at Cathedral. Unfortunately the guy is still missing. Apparently he did sign back in on the 2nd but they suspect he went for a walk again after that. His car and belongings are obviously still there.

Unfortunately he is still missing and there still are not any clues really as to what happened to him. The initial search and rescue has obviously been called off, but the SAPS is still actively searching and investigating.

He has sadly still not been found and the search is officially over. See this article. One wishes that there could be closure for his family.

It's quite possible that he got swept away by the Mlambonja River whilst trying to cross....it does become a raging torrent at times. A hiker got swept away at Ndedema in 1995 - they never found his body.