Joint effort to rescue man from sinkhole
A resident of our area fell into a sinkhole between Rooipoort and Blybank.
The SAPS, various emergency services and Mine Rescue Services worked together to rescue a man from a sinkhole near Rooipoort last week.
As far as could be determined, a bystander noticed the man lying in pain inside the sinkhole in the veld near the Rooipoort rubbish dump on the morning of Thursday, 29 February. The man was apparently short-sighted and did not see the sinkhole before he fell into it.
According to the Gauteng EMS West Rand district manager, Mr Jurgens Bence, they were notified of the emergency at 09:32 and immediately rushed to the sinkhole. The Gauteng EMS special operations unit, and Carletonville and West Rand ambulance services were soon ready to help.They observed the area where the man was lying with the special operations unit’s drone and realised the walls of the sinkhole, about 15 metres deep and 30 by 30 metres wide, were too unstable for rescuers to climb down.
“They erected a “highline” across the sinkhole, and lowered a rescuer into the middle of the sinkhole. The patient, identified as a 34-year-old man from the area, was found to be responsive and awake. The emergency services stabilised him, placed him in a basket stretcher, and successfully hoisted him to the surface,” says Bence.
A medical examination established that the patient had sustained a fractured left femur (upper leg) as a result of the incident. He was swiftly transported to Carletonville Hospital and was still in the hospital on Tuesday afternoon. His condition is reported to be stable, and he was responding well to treatment.
“This successful rescue operation was made possible through the collaborative efforts of all the services involved, demonstrating the efficiency and professionalism of our team. The scene was cleared at 13:34,” Bence added.
The Herald already notified the municipality of this sinkhole in 2020.
“The sinkhole is currently not endangering any municipal infrastructure,” the municipal spokesperson answered on 23 June 2020.
It is not sure why the municipality has not attended to the sinkhole since this time. It has, however, been cordoned off since the man fell into it.
