WATCH: Blind man falls into storm water channel in Pretoria, gets robbed by two unknown men

Abrie Geldenhuys (41), who was born with an eye disease that causes vision loss, was on his way to a local restaurant, when he accidentally plummeted into the channel on the corner of Codonia and Stead avenues, in Moregloed just after 11:00 on Friday, November 5

“Fortunately I did not sustain any serious injuries, just a few bruises on my knee and back,” he told Rekord this week.

Geldenhuys had been housesitting over the weekend and thus found himself in an area with which he was not familiar.

“After falling into the channel, which had some water in it, a kind passerby managed to help me get out of it.”

Video footage from the scene shows a clearly disorientated Geldenhuys being helped out of the channel.

“As I was making my way back to the house in 33st Avenue, two unknown men asked if they could help me to get back home.

“One of the men then grabbed me from behind while the other unzipped my backpack and stole my cellphone as well as my wallet,” explained Geldenhuys.

He said he was very confused after the fall.

“I wanted to fight back, but I was dazed.

“Luckily, I had another phone in my pocket and could call for help,” he said.

He only has one percent sight in his right eye, and two percent in his left eye.

“My sight has worsened over the past three years. I am using a white cane and the channel looked like a wide sidewalk to me.”

A business opposite the stormwater channel managed to capture the incident on the video footage but did not manage to capture the suspects who robbed Geldenhuys.

Geldenhuys has applied to get a guide dog to prevent a similar accident from happening in the future.

Ward councillor Frans Smith said he reported the incident to the Tshwane metro.

“I did inform the metro of the incident and they acknowledged my request.

“Visible barricades will be erected to prevent a similar incident from happening again,” Smith said.

Villieria CPF member Susan Andrews said that this incident was “unacceptable” and the metro should be held accountable.

“It is a huge safety hazard for all who is walking in the area.

“He could have been severely injured, but luckily that didn’t happen,” she said.

Andrews added that the stormwater channel also posed a risk for road users in the evenings.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen if you are not familiar with the area.

“As a community, we hope that those involved who are responsible for the safety of our community have now woken up,” she said.

Warrant Officer Marinda Austin said that a case of robbery was opened at Villieria police station on Saturday morning, November 6.