He was about to retrieve a fire extenguisher when the Earth swallowed him up.
Sydney Mathonsi and his colleague Qhubani Ngcangolo responded to a truck accident in Fairland on the N1 Western Bypass bridge, which runs across 9th Avenue.
Neither expected an injury on 6 May; just another day of patrolling for the two armed reaction officers.
The two guards saw the truck catch fire and decided to intervene.
“I rushed to the truck to see whether I could assist while Mathonsi went back to the squad car to fetch a fire extinguisher,” Ngcangolo recounted.
“As I was busy assisting the survivors in the truck, I heard a lady call for help. She said that my partner fell into a man hole.”
Ngcangolo said he immediately rushed down from the freeway bridge to 9th Avenue, where the team’s reaction vehicle was parked, and was shocked to see Mathonsi stuck in a stormwater drain with a fallen concrete slab covering his upper legs.
He managed to remove the slab from Mathonsi’s legs and lift him out and into the ambulance which arrived shortly thereafter.
“He walked over a large stormwater drain that was covered by two concrete slabs. He fell in when the second slab gave way under his feet,” Ngcangolo explained.
Anne Wood, spokesperson of Fairland-based security company Beagle Watch confirmed that the incident had occurred and said the guard was taken to Flora Clinic for medical treatment.
Mathonsi was fortunate to not have sustained serious injuries. He was discharged after x-rays confirmed this.
He expressed his gratitude toward his colleague and friend.
“If it wasn’t for my brave colleague Ngcangolo’s fast response, the situation could have made a turn for the worst.” he said.
Wood could not say when Mathonsi would resume his duties, but confirmed that he is required to visit the clinic on a weekly basis for treatment.
