Allegations of negligence on the part of guides conducting tours around the Cango Caves are to be investigated by management and the Oudtshoorn municipality, the Herald Online reported on Tuesday.
This follows an incident at the renowned Southern Cape tourist attraction last Sunday, in which three foreign tourists and one local tourist were left stranded underground in the dark, as well as a major rescue operation a week earlier in which 23 people were trapped behind a woman who got stuck in one of the cave’s tight tunnels.
Cango Caves manager Hein Gertsner told the Herald that in the latest incident proper guiding procedures were not followed.
”Protocol has been breached. Guides are supposed to count people before they go up the ladder to the adventure section and re-count on the way down.”
Gertsner told the Herald that although the tourists were not pressing charges, the municipality was taking the incident seriously. He said normal safety regulations were not followed.
The Herald said the Oudtshoorn municipality would not comment on the safety aspects of the caves. Its deputy mayor, James Sweigelaar, referred all queries to Gertsner.
According to one of those rescued on Sunday, Capetonian Amanda Claassen, she and three other tourists had fallen behind their group, and were told to follow a string of lights to the exit. However, while they were doing so the lights went out, and they took a wrong turn and got lost.
Claassen told the Herald: ”Initially we started calling for the tour guide. We didn’t think the guide was that far ahead. After that the lights were switched off and we shouted louder.”
She said they were in ”total, utter darkness”.
”Luckily we were close to an emergency phone in the Devil’s Chimney and we called the police. The rescue took about an hour and a half.”
The lost group struggled for half an hour with the phone because a key was stuck.
Claassen said the four had met officials from the local municipality and were assured that safety at the caves would be investigated.
”We hope that they jack up standard safety precautions — and basic precautions need to be implemented. Somebody doesn’t have to die before they sort it out,” she said. — Sapa