Seaward Estate teen rescued from possible abduction while walking home from Ballito mall
She told them to leave her alone, but they persisted in instructing her to get in their bakkie.
A mother remains horrified at what could have happened to her daughter if passersby had not stopped to help prevent what they believe to have been an attempted abduction in Ballito in broad daylight.
The 18-year-old Seaward Estate girl – who asked not to be named – was on her way home on foot after leaving her grandmother to some shopping at Ballito Junction on Saturday, November 5.
She had just left the mall at around 10.30am, making her way past the first circle near Simbithi Drive, when she said two men in a white bakkie with Gauteng registration plates began harassing her all the way to the Ballito fire station, where the teenager said at one point she felt she had to run for her life.
“I was freaking out. Cars were passing me by as they ordered me to get into the bakkie,” the distraught teen said while recounting the ordeal.
By this time, the driver had pulled over to the side of the road just a little up from the Seaward Estate gate along Ballito Drive.
She told them to leave her alone, but they persisted in instructing her to climb in.
“Fight or flight kicked in,” she said, deciding to run for it.
At that moment an approaching car and its occupants rushed to her aid.
Understood to be armed, the girl’s rescuer warded off the men who took off at speed and the teen was escorted safely home.
“I used to love going walking for exercise, something I did often. I have walked home from the mall so many times without anything like this ever happening before,” she said.
“We think Ballito is safe, but this really can happen anywhere,” she said.
Shocked to have heard of the incident, Ballito Neighbourhood Watch chairperson, Morné Steffens said they were doing what they could to help police locate the culprits.
“Details of the bakkie captured on a security camera have been circulated nationally,” he said.
Umhlali Saps spokesperson, Captain Vinny Pillay confirmed that a case of attempted kidnapping had been registered for investigation.
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