A 30-year-old man from Gqeberha was rescued on Friday evening after his truck got stuck on a low-lying bridge over the Gamtoos River between Patensie and Hankey in the Eastern Cape. The man was on his way to a farm to collect a load of citrus fruits when his truck became stuck. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) received a distress call at 19:33 after the truck failed to arrive at the farm on time.
The farmer who had hired the truck went to look for it and found it stuck in the river, prompting him to raise the alarm. The driver was trapped in the cabin and unable to escape due to the fast-flowing river, which had risen to the height of the cabin. The NSRI's Sint Francisbaai station was alerted, and a rescue team was dispatched to the scene.
The rescue operation involved multiple teams, including the NSRI, the police, the Eastern Cape provincial health department's rescue team, and Smart Security. The police's water policing and diving service (WPDS) search and rescue team was also placed on standby. The Sint Francisbaai team sent rescue swimmers in a private vehicle, while the Jeffreysbaai team transported rescue swimmers and a CROC, a small floating rescue vessel, in an NSRI rescue vehicle.
The bridge had been flooded due to recent heavy rainfall, which had made the road and bridge slippery. According to the NSRI, this was not the first time the bridge had been flooded, having been inundated multiple times since May. The rescue swimmers had to wade through the strong currents and use anchor lines while setting up a pulley system with the NSRI-CROC.
The rescue operation took three hours to complete. The driver was secured with a life jacket and brought to the CROC, which took him to safety. EMS paramedics examined the man and transported him to a hospital for further medical evaluation. Fortunately, he is expected to make a full recovery.
The rescue teams returned to their bases around 01:00 on Saturday morning. A heavy vehicle recovery team is investigating how to remove the truck when the river's water level drops. The NSRI praised the quick response and coordinated efforts during the technical rescue operation in strong currents.
The successful rescue was a result of the collaboration between multiple teams, including the NSRI, police, and other emergency services. The driver was fortunate to have been rescued safely, and the incident highlights the importance of emergency preparedness and response in the face of natural disasters.
Key points
- The rescue operation took three hours to complete and involved multiple teams from the NSRI, police, and other emergency services.
- The truck became stuck on a low-lying bridge over the Gamtoos River due to recent heavy rainfall, which had flooded the bridge.
- The driver was rescued safely and is expected to make a full recovery after being transported to a hospital for further medical evaluation.
