Child killed in Brackenham gate accident
The latest tragedy has led to renewed pleas for homeowners to check gate safety.
A SIX-year-old Brackenham child died on Friday from severe injuries sustained when a driveway gate fell on top of him.
While police have not revealed details, friends of the family confirmed the incident and said the boy’s caregiver was ‘heartbroken’.
A lengthy delay in the arrival of an ambulance was also reported.
This is not the first such incident in the city.
In 2013, a three-year-old girl lost her life in similar circumstances when a sliding driveway gate fell on top of her.
The latest tragedy has led to renewed pleas for homeowners to check gate safety and to ensure they have been properly constructed and installed.
This includes properly built concrete support pillars.
In particular, ‘stop’ mechanisms to prevent the gate being pushed off the end of the rails is essential.
The condition of the gate over time will also deteriorate, especially with homemade gates where inferior angle iron may have been used.
‘Just spend 10 minutes after work today to check the state of the gate and see if it has end stops to prevent it travelling off the tracks,’ said a concerned Richards Bay CPF member.
