La Lucia ‘guardian angel’ recounts daring rescue
The young qualified lifesaver tells the tale of his daring rescue during Monday’s horrific floods.
DURBAN’s torrential rain nearly claimed a fifth victim on Monday, as Shakila Singh’s car was submerged by the flooding water under the M4 in La Lucia. Fortunately, by some twist of fate, Cameron White (17), who is a qualified junior lifesaver, was in the area and rushed to her aid.
The La Lucia resident said he and his family were on their way back from the beach when they saw Singh’s car floating under the M4 bridge in the rising flood water.
“We wanted to see the massive waves and on our way back we saw traffic backing up under the bridge. People were getting out of their cars, and then suddenly we spotted the car floating round and round from one end of the road to the other,” he said.
“By that time the water was already over the car’s bonnet and more and more water was pouring in and growing higher and higher,” he added.
The Clifton College pupil said when he first spotted the drifting car he did not realise that anyone was inside, but when he wade through the water to have a closer look he spotted the terrified mother of three staring back at him.
When the car finally came to a halt on the one side of the road, White jumped into action. He approached the passenger-side door and warned Singh that he would open the door, and once the door opened the water would come flooding in.
“I knew the longer she stayed in the car the harder it would be to open the door, so I just focused on what needed to be done,” he said.
Once he opened the door he passed all her belongings to his dad, and pulled the La Mercy resident to safety – then disappeared.
Singh and her family turned to Facebook where they made a desperate appeal to track down the boy she called, her ‘guardian angel’.
“He saved my life. Without him my children would not have a mother. He is my guardian angel. What are the odds of the young, brave lifesaver being at the right place at the right time. Not even five minutes after he pulled me to safety my car was completely submerged – only the brake lights on my boot were visible,” said the Ballito librarian.
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