Opened in 1966
Before European settlers arrived at the Augrabies Falls, the area was home to early African people who primarily fished and fed off the edible roots, wild fruit, beans and berries of wild raisin trees found there. The last leader of these people was named Klaas Pofadder. The island where he was based is now named after him.
A Swedish mercenary by the name of Hendrik Wikar was the first European to come across the falls. He found Augrabies in October 1778 while wandering to the Gariep River after running into trouble with debt and deserting his post in Cape Town in 1775. The Augrabies Falls National Park as we know it today was opened in 1966.
Centered on Klaas Island, the park is a 5 403ha conservation area on the south bank of the Gariep River. The park’s main attraction, the waterfall and impressive gorge, are accessible all year round. This was made possible after bridges, causeways and a series of protected outlooks were built which allow visitors to safely view the gorge and waterfall even when the river is in full flood.
Danger at the Falls
The Augrabies waterfall and gorge can be very dangerous, especially during times of flood where the river completely overwhelms the surrounding area. There are five known instances of people being carried over the falls. Of these there was only one survivor, named Hugo Truter. Truter was a 20-year-old national serviceman stationed at Upington who was visiting Augrabies with some friends in October 1981.
The group crossed the suspension bridge over the gorge above the waterfall. Truter slipped while scrambling through the rocks beside the river and fell into the water which carried him away. After bouncing off some rocks, Truter felt a searing pain in his back and lost half his consciousness.
He was carried over the falls and into the gorge below where he regained consciousness. After witnessing Truter’s accident, his friends rushed to find help. They found it at the National Park Board office and, after rounding up some officers, went back to the falls on a rescue mission. Looking down into the gorge, the group saw Truter clinging to a rock. Secured to some rope, Truter’s friend, Johannes Lombard, was lowered into the gorge.
Lombard consoled the injured man and helped him swim to the side of the gorge where the pair were hauled to a ledge half way up. Two members of the Cape Town Fire Brigade happened to be on holiday at Augrabies at the time and their services were enlisted. The firemen were lowered down to the two young men, where they gave Truter a sedative. Because they could not be lifted higher due to the rock overhang, police were called from Upington and a helicopter was requested from Pretoria.
At 8pm that night, Truter was airlifted and flown the the military hospital in Pretoria where he fully recovered. When he had fallen, the waterfall threw him forward and he avoided being sucked into the deep pool at the waterfall’s base. Others were not so lucky. On previous occasions, divers were sent down into the pool to recover a body but gave up after plunging 50 m down into the dark icy water.
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