Heavy winter rain: Hikers stranded in canyon

Southern Namibia has experienced unusually heavy rainfall over the past five days. Normally, winter rains are gentle and steady. This time, however, the rainfall caused flash floods in many dry rivers. 96 hikers were stranded in Fish River Canyon; the evacuation operation is underway.

Dark rain clouds hung over southern Namibia. Hail fell intermittently in the Namib and Kalahari deserts (see photo from the Luna Namib Collection and video clip from the Kalahari Anib Lodge). Even in the Sossusvlei area, it rained so heavily that the ground was saturated and puddles were everywhere (see video clip by Kyle Goetsch Photography).

Police evacuate hikers from the canyon

Winter rain causes a flood surge in the Fish River, causing the Neckartal Dam to overflow.  Photo: Screenshot from the Facebook Reel of the state-owned water supplier NamWater

The Fish River caused the Neckartal Dam west of Keetmanshoop to overflow again. At the Naute Dam south of Keetmanshoop, the state water supplier NamWater reopened the sluice gates due to the flood surge in the Löwen Rivier. The river flows into the Fish River a few kilometers downstream.

The two flood surges are now cascading further south through the Fish River Canyon. There is already an unusually high water level there, as heavy rains had fallen in southern Namibia at the end of April, at the close of the (summer) rainy season. As a result, the Fish River Hiking Trail was opened late (see report on Namibian.org).

96 were stranded in Fish River Canyon due to rising water levels, including reportedly a school class, according to the online newspaper Informanté. The state-run rest camp operator, Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR), closed the trail and launched an evacuation operation with the assistance of the police.

60 hikers have been brought to safety so far, the newspaper New Era reported on its Facebook page. The evacuation is ongoing; the hikers are in good health. NWR operates the Hobas rest camp at the start and Ai-Ais at the end of the Fish River Hiking Trail, and thus also the trail itself.

Winter rain on the road C19 between Solitaire and Sesriem. Photo: Post from 19 June 2026 on the Gondwana Collection Namibia Facebook page