Boy (5) falls into storm water drain
“One cannot even see the drain when it is covered with water. The water was up to his waist and he was really scared. Luckily I was holding his hand,”
“Thank God I kept his hand as we were walking. He was terrified. My concern is for other children who walk past here every day on their way to school.”
So said Ms Vanessa Andrews, after pulling her five-year-old grandson out of a storm water drain.
Little Leroy Frazer fell into the drain by accident while walking to school on February 3.
“We were walking to school on Monday and it was raining. When it rains, the water flows down from Highgate Street towards Jules Street,” said Mrs Andrews. She said LJ fell into the drain unknowingly.
“One cannot even see the drain when it is covered with water. The water was up to his waist and he was really scared. Luckily I was holding his hand,” said Mrs Andrews.
She said Leroy hurt his knee during the ordeal and she gave him a painkiller for the pain.
“Many children walk to school alone. I want to know if the authorities are concerned about this as we have reported the storm water drains several times before,” said Mrs Andrews.
When the EXPRESS was there, there were two more storm water drains nearby with no man-hole covers. A friend of Mrs Andrews said she was also concerned.
“It is terrible what happens when it rains here. Sometimes the homeless people help by placing old tyres on the holes to prevent anyone from falling in, but they can only do so much,” said Ms Glenda Prinsloo.
Mrs Bertha Peters-Scheepers, who is the operations manager of the marketing and communications department of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), said the safety of children is of utmost importance.
“Our team was immediately dispatched to the scene. Our inspectors found a missing Johannesburg Water cover at the corner of Highgate and Jules streets. The hole is about 0.60 metres deep. This is possibly where the child could have fallen in, but would fortunately not have drowned as there is a valve inside the hole,” said Mrs Peters-Scheepers.
She said on the opposite side of the sidewalk was a missing storm water cover, which the JRA team secured by placing a yellow barrier over it.
“There are tyres inside the manhole and therefore nobody can fall inside. The manhole cover on the sidewalk with the yellow barrier is clearly visible, and consequently, we have brought the issue of the missing Johannesburg Water covers to their attention for urgent resolution,” said Mrs Peters-Scheepers.
She urged the community to be the eyes and ears of the JRA in reporting road and storm water issues to 0860 562 874 or emailing hotline@jra.org.za
