Krugersdorp Fire services rescue man trapped under a wall
An amazing rescue by the Krugersdorp Fire Services ensured that a local man will not lose his arm and leg.
With hard work, determination and a lot of skill, the Krugersdorp Fire Brigade recently pulled off a rescue that was nothing short of miraculous.
On Monday, 18 March, they received a call from the provincial ambulance services asking for assistance in rescuing a man trapped under a wall.
The man, from Kagiso, was busy digging a foundation at a house when one of the walls caved in on him and pinned him down.
The rescue team arrived on the scene at 2.58pm and assessed the situation.
The man’s right arm and leg were pinned under the wall and the ambulance services had decided to call in a doctor from Johannesburg as a back-up.
Also Read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/krugersdorp-news/226614/video-flood-water-leaves-man-trapped-on-car-roof/
If the man could not be rescued, the next step would have been to amputate his right arm and right leg to get him out. The doctor was being flown in by helicopter.
Gerhard Nieuwoudt, the Krugersdorp Fire Department chief, asked them to give him and his team a chance to save the man before resorting to such drastic measures.
By using their rescue equipment, they managed to stabilise the wall and could start digging the man out. First, they dug a hole near his leg and managed to free it.
At this time the man’s vitals were still stable and they decided to see if they could get his arm out next.
“We had to take our time and work very carefully,” Nieuwoudt said.
They started breaking up the foundation, brick by brick, and after nearly two hours, the man was finally freed and could be airlifted to hospital.
Nieuwoudt said the reaction and support of the hundreds of bystanders was amazing and their cheers just gave the rescue teams the support they needed to continue doing their excellent work.
