Prof. Basil Moore lost in the Groot Drakenstein mountains for 5 days

On the morning of Wednesday 27^th November, Prof. Basil Moore, extraordinary professor in the Department of Economics, left for his usual one to two hour runs from his farm in the Banhoek Valley. He set off in his ‘bakkie’ with his two Rhodesian Ridgebacks. He parked in his usual spot beside the old Anglo-American orchards. Feeling particularly good, he accidently found the old path up to the burned-down mountain hut on the Groot Drakenstein mountain. The path above the hut was very over grown, and he soon became lost in the dense fynbos below the cliffs of the mountain. Having chosen the most direct option towards home, he descended into the valley, but in the mountain’s water catchment area, the bush and shrubs became near impenetrable.

The next morning Prof. Moore found himself quite disoriented due to the very thick fynbos. He continued to push through, but the going became slower and tougher. He failed to make good time, as he descended further and deeper in the valley. By this time Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) used helicopters to survey the area and look for him.

For the next two days, WSAR, local authorities and neighbouring farmers banded together and searched intensively for Prof. Moore. Professional sniffer dogs were brought in to help.

On Sunday morning a searcher came through on the radio that a dog’s bark was heard. Prof. Moore was finally found hanging on to some trees for support. He was bruised, cut up and gaunt; wearing one shoe, with no shirt and only his black running shorts. He spent two nights recovering in the Stellenbosch Medi-clinic but has since returned home and is eager to get back to the hills again. The dogs remain in good health and are happy to see him home.

Prof. Moore’s wife, Sibs, insists that she is not letting him out of her sight until he has been embedded with a tracking device.