MBOMBELA – A social gathering at Stoep took a disastrous turn when a huge white silk cotton tree collapsed onto the tent covering the outside dining area on Wednesday evening. Although miraculously nobody was killed, one patron was seriously injured.
Situated at Sonpark, Stoep is a popular dining and entertainment venue and hosts artists on a weekly basis. Wednesday nights are usually open-mic nights and six artists were scheduled to perform. Mr Coenie van Deventer is often part of the line-up and was the first to perform at about 19:00. He was seated at the table at the back closest to the tree which was situated just behind the fence.
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“It was a busy night at Stoep with a lot of patrons,” he said. Heavy rain poured down at about 18:30 and the shower lasted until 19:30.
Van Deventer recalled that just after 20:00, he heard a loud bang. “Like fireworks,” he said. “We looked up and saw the tent collapsing on top of us. At first I didn’t see that the tree had actually fallen and I thought that maybe the tent pegs were uprooted by the strong wind that had been blowing earlier. It all happened so fast. I then heard people screaming and we got up and fled.”
On Lowvelder’s arrival at the scene shortly after the incident, waiter Mr Martin Taljaard said that he had been on a smoke break and saw that the tree was leaning over to one side. “I saw it was on the verge of collapse and shouted to everyone to get out of the way. They just stared at me in disbelief.”
Ms Marisha Marais and Ms Angie Schultz (24) were also seated at Van Deventer’s table, along with other guests. Schultz is from Pretoria and was visiting Marais for the week. Marais reiterated Van Deventer’s words, saying that it sounded like a cracker had gone off. “I then saw the tent falling in on us and I ducked under the table for cover.”
Moments later Van Deventer helped her out from under the table. She heard Schultz calling her name, but couldn’t find her. “I then saw her pinned under the tree on my left,” Marais added. Having been in severe shock, Van Deventer escorted her outside. Netcare911’s base is also at Sonpark and paramedics were on the scene within minutes. The fire brigade also arrived. The tree was lifted off Schultz and she was taken to Rob Ferreira Hospital.
The waiters ordered all other patrons to move inside for fear of more possible injuries,” Van Deventer said.
Some of them gathered outside at the front, noticeably in shock about what had just transpired. Netcare911 took another patient to a nearby hospital and ER24 also transported a patient. It has since been established that Schultz has suffered a hip fracture and that she will be bedridden for at least six weeks.
“She says she has never experienced such terrible pain in her life and has been given morphine,” Marais said. “The doctors said she would be discharged soon and would have to recuperate at home.”
Mr Kobus Jacobs, owner of Sonpark, also arrived at the scene later to access the damage. The tree wasn’t uprooted, but the trunk had broke off more than two metres above the ground. “It was actually a young branch that broke off. We suspect that the trunk might have cracked because of the heavy winds that had been blowing earlier this week. The weight of the water on the leaves after the rain might have caused it to collapse,” he said.
By yesterday morning, the tree had been sawed up into smaller chunks and removed. Mr Koos Vermeulen, co-owner of Stoep, was helping waiters moving the tables back in place. The tent, valued at more than R45 000, was damaged beyond repair. Chinese lanterns that were hanging from underneath and some furniture also broke.
“My biggest worry is the people who were injured,” he said. Napalma was scheduled to perform there on Friday night and Dewald Dippenaar the following day.
Vermeulen was to speak to Marais at the time of going to print. “I am considering cancelling Napalma’s performance if any of the patrons sustained serious injuries, out of respect for them,” he said. Nothing to this effect had been confirmed at the time of going to print.
“It was a huge shock. I wish all of those injured a speedy recovery,” Jacobs added.
