NSRI helps motorists trapped in flooded KZN

26 July 2016 - 12:02 By Nivashni Nair And Tmg Digital‚ Durban Bureau

"Emergency services have had a busy 24 hours. Starting with snow yesterday morning and then flooding in the afternoon and evening‚" Emergency Medical Services spokesman Robert Mckenzie said. Several rescues were performed when cars were washed away due to the flood waters and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) was called to assist police and emergencymedical services."One such incident was on the south coast where a family of three were swept off a bridge. They had to swim several kilometres down river to find a place to safety get out of the water‚" Mckenzie said. Meanwhile‚ a 62-year-old woman who went missing during the torrential rains in Durban on Monday has still not been located.Private security company Reaction Unit SA's director Prem Balram said Brenda Lynn Scriven had been missing since 6pm on Monday."Brenda's white GWM light motor vehicle was found at the bottom of Glen Anil Street in Glen Anil after it was stuck on a flooded road. She last made telephonic contact at 6pm and was not heard off since.""Her phone‚ handbag and other personal belongings have been found‚" he said. Also on Monday‚ Crisis Medical paramedics reported that a car washed off the road in Durban at around 6pm."A female of 39 years old was travelling down Ronaldo Road towards North Coast Road when she felt her vehicle lose control from underneath her‚" Crisis Medical said in a statement.Water gushing across the road caused the light motor vehicle to be swept off the roadway and down the embankment. "The driver being the only occupant of the vehicle‚ managed escape unharmed by climbing out of the driver’s side window‚" Crisis Medical said.The woman said she had to get out of the car."I wanted to get out of the car because there was a river washing my car further into the bushes and I can't swim‚" she said.An eThekwini Fire and Rescue vehicle hauled the car out of the bushes. NSRI member Paul Bevis responded in his own vehicle to assist SAPS rescue personnel trapped in vehicles.He was then diverted to Umlaas Road in Umlazi to assist a young man and woman trapped on a small island in the middle of a river with the water level rising.On arrival‚ rescuers found a local wearing a personal floatation device had gone to help them.Bevis swam across the river and managed to swim them all back to safety‚ as debris floated all around them.TrafficSA via Twitter Another NSRI member in his private vehicle‚ Lorenzo Tavern Turisan‚ assisted residents affected by flooding in Yellowood Park. – TMG Digital..

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