Commendation Medal for local officer
Seeing that the man was about to drown, du Toit, unconcerned for his life jumped in and saved him.
In 2019, Capt Wynand du Toit, from the Springs Police Station, saved a grandfather from death when he rescued him from Blesbokspruit where he was fishing with his grandchild.
Du Toit was at home when he received a call from a concerned member of the the public about the incident.
Once he arrived on the scene, Du Toit saw the elderly man struggling in the water, and with little concern for his own life, jumped in and saved him.
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Last Wednesday, the SAPS, under national police commissioner Gen Khehla Sithole, recognised his bravery and awarded him a Commendation Medal for his actions.
“When I got there, the fishing hook was stuck in his ankle and he couldn’t move because the lines were holding him back.
“He was standing on a rock but you could only see his face sticking out of the water.
“Myself and Const Freddy Matfield went out to see how we could help and when we called out to him, he didn’t even respond and I knew that it was time to get to him.
“Other people were just standing there, and we went in and got him.
“We had to bite off the line and we pulled him out.
“I didn’t go out there to be a hero, but I’m glad we got him out,” said du Toit.
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Springs police spokesperson Capt Johannes Ramphora said they were proud of their members who risked their lives to save others.
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