The police’s Diving Unit and K9 team in the North West have won praise for their sustained rescue work since heavy rainfall resulted in flash floods, sweeping away some community members.
W/Os Christo van Heerden, Pieta Lamprechts, Walter Congwane, Johan van Wyk, together with Capt Topsie Smit, as well as Sgt Moletsane Alfred Moloi of the Vryburg K9 Search and Rescue Unit, have been working around the clock since the early hours of May 1, when the first distress call was received at about 3.30am.
Between then and Tuesday morning, they have attended to 10 callouts, rescuing eight people and conducting one recovery operation.
“Of these, three individuals were clinging to tree branches for survival in Reivillo, Pudimoe and Taung, while five others were rescued after the vehicles they were travelling in were swept away by floodwaters,” the SAPS said in a statement.
“Tragically, one life was lost when a 12-year-old girl went swimming in a quarry on Sunday afternoon, at approximately 5.30pm in Lokgabeng, next to Mokasa 2 village in Taung. Her body was recovered on Monday.
Acting police commissioner Maj-Gen Ryno Naidoo said: “The dedication, courage and unwavering commitment displayed by our divers and search and rescue members are a true reflection of the values of the South African Police Service. They placed their lives at risk to save others under extremely dangerous conditions. We honour their bravery.”
The public is urged to follow these safety tips:
• Do not cross a road that is closed due to water overflowing onto the road surface.
• Before entering the water, assess the strength of the current.
• If caught in a fast-flowing river, travel feet first, as that will protect the head and body from serious injury.
• If you fall into water and are unable to stand and reach the side, you should stay calm; try not to swallow water; keep your head above the water by kicking as if you are cycling and by paddling with your hands at the same time.
• When you swim in open water, it’s much harder than swimming in the still water of a pool. This means you may tire faster, and that can lead to trouble very quickly.
• When swimming in rivers or lakes, the murky water can make it difficult to find people who go under.
• If you swim in a place with a strong current, such as where two rivers meet, it is easy to be pulled under and swept away.
The South African Weather Service has issued multiple warnings of extreme weather across the country from Tuesday. An intense cut-off low is expected to affect the western and central parts of the country from Tuesday to Thursday.
“The public and all small stock farmers are advised that the combination of snow, gale-force winds, heavy rain, flooding, very cold conditions and very rough seas can be expected over the Eastern Cape, southern parts of Northern Cape, as well as central and north-eastern parts of the Western Cape.”
The North West’s weather was forecast to be partly cloudy and cool, becoming cloudy with widespread showers and thundershowers, but scattered in the west.
TimesLIVE
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