Buried KZN boy saved from drowning

Firmly trapped as the incoming tide reached his shoulders, only the frantic efforts of passers-by saved him from drowning, Zululand Observer reported.

The drama began around noon when Tiaan Coertse, his brother Etienne and friend Codi Chisolm were enjoying a beach outing with their great aunt Loraine Jonnes on Sunday.

While Loraine kept an eye on them from her car parked close by, Riaan asked the other boys to bury him waist deep in sand near the water’s edge.

“After quite a while Codi ran up to tell me that Tiaan was crying,” said Jonnes.

“I thought this was a typical spat, and when I got to Tiaan he said he wanted to get out of the hole they had buried him in. I was not too worried and put my arms under his shoulders to lift him out – but I could not. I told the other boys to dig away the sand around Tiaan, but the more they dug, the deeper he sank.”

By this time Jonnes, who had been standing fully clothed in the water, was frantic.

“I could not leave him to run for help, as the water was now up his chest. Luckily an Indian gentleman came to assist,” she said.

That man, Vinesh Maharaj, was to prove to be a true lifesaver.

“We had been at the shop, and on the spur of the moment I decided to drive to Naval Island, where I saw what was happening and ran to help. I held on to the boy with one hand and dug with the other, but it was a losing battle,” said Maharaj.

“The water was up to his shoulders, and I knew if I let him go it would be the end.”

Two more adult passers-by joined the attempt. Amid tears, fears and screams, they were still unable to lift Tiaan from the hole as the downward pressure kept its grip.

The arrival of a “big man” in the form of John Bruce gained the victory over the tug-o’-war with the tide, and finally, “with a sound like a giant suction cup”, Tiaan was pulled free.

He had been hyperventilating and was cold and in shock, but he soon recovered amid a lot of hugs and high fives.

His mother, Tracey could not say enough about the part played by those who saved Tiaan’s life.

“The Lord had his angels watching over my child, and they came in the form of three gentlemen,” she said.

Alkantstrand Beach manager Shakes Hiraman said this was not an isolated incident.

“There have been many deaths and serious injuries caused by similar situations, especially where holes have been dug and the sand collapses,” said Hiraman.

“For this reason, we have for some time banned bathers from covering each other with sand, especially near the water’s edge. We would prefer children to build sandcastles rather than dig holes.”

– Caxton News Service