WATCH | Rescue of man who fell seven floors while 'fleeing cops'

01 November 2019 - 09:12 By NIVASHNI NAIR
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A man was lowered in a specialised stretcher down to the ground floor of a high-rise building in Durban on November 1 2019. Police said he had been fleeing police officials during a drugs bust.

A man was allegedly fleeing from police during a drugs bust when he fell from the 7th floor of a high-rise building on Margaret Mncadi Avenue near Johnson Lane in Durban on Friday morning.

The critically injured man then had to be lowered to the ground floor on a specialised stretcher during a high-angle rescue.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Brig Jay Naicker said a multidisciplinary operation led by officers from the provincial drug and firearm unit was conducted at a building on Margaret Mncadi Avenue [Victoria Embankment] in the Durban city centre at 5am.

“Police officers penetrated the building and an occupant attempted to flee from police by jumping from the 7th floor. He sustained severe injuries and was taken to hospital for medical attention,” he said.

The man who fell from a high-rise building was taken to hospital for urgent medical care.
The man who fell from a high-rise building was taken to hospital for urgent medical care.
Image: supplied/Rescue Care

The injured man will appear in the Durban magistrate's court as soon as he is released from hospital, where he is under police guard. 

Naicker said the 41-year-old man will be charged with drug dealing.

“Police seized 1.5kg of cocaine powder; rock cocaine and methcathinone with a combined street value of more than R700,000,” he said. 

The man was lowered in a specialised stretcher down to the ground floor of the building after he fell.

Rescue Care MD Garrith Jamieson said a high-angle rescue had to take place after advanced life support paramedics treated the man at the scene.

“The patient was rescued by an advanced life support paramedic from Rescue Care. This rescue was watched over by SAPS search and rescue unit and metro police.”

The patient had sustained critical injuries and was transported by paramedics to hospital.


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