Dark clouds gathered over Vanderbijlpark. Then it started to rain. Some say it was a cloudburst. Hard and persistent. Water began to flow across the roads.

The pitfalls were filled first. The bus hit a hole and came to a halt in the ever-rising water. Inside the van, Thabee and her colleagues watched helplessly as the water rose and Andries Potgieter Boulevard was transformed into a river.

At that time, Shane Pretorius was driving past. Behind his bakkie was a trailer that he had to unload at his uncle. He heard the cries for help and called Johan Strydom, better known as Oom Bossie.

Johan, the driver of a tow truck, was first on the scene. Nico Radebe stopped with his bakkie on his heels. Their first step was to block the road.

Shane, meanwhile, unhooked the trailer and returned to the scene. “The people in the bus called for help and shouted that they could not get out. The water was too deep, ”he recalls. Johan and Nico stood in the back of Johan’s bakkie and controlled the winning axle.

In the pouring rain, Shane went into the water with the cable in his hand to connect the van. “The water came up to my thighs. At first I wanted to run, but the current was too strong, then I just swam to the bus, ”he indicates. Shane connected the van to the winch shaft cable and the van was towed to safety. Shane just laughed at his heroic deed. “It’s my passion to help people,” he said.

Nyako said on her Facebook profile later that day that it felt as if they were trapped in the rising water for an eternity.

Many people just drove past them and even took photos and videos without trying to help. She was very grateful to the Good Samaritan who helped them. Among other things, she wrote: “… (he) got into the freezing water half naked, swam closer to the taxi to tie the tow belt on the taxi and slowly, but surely, towed us to safety. Really wish more South Africans were like you. Sacrificed his time, petrol, risked his own life, to save working moms… ”