Home News Boy, 5, survives fall in manhole

Boy, 5, survives fall in manhole

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The traumatised boy was pulled out of the drain and suffered a few bruises, although he was soaked in black sewage.

File image. Picture: Saurabh Das/AP

THE SOL Plaatje Municipality closed an open main hole in Cuckoo Street in front of the Roodepan Primary School after a 5-year-old boy fell into it on Friday, October 16.

The traumatised boy was pulled out of the drain and suffered a few bruises, although he was soaked in black sewage.

One eye witness, Lionel Bergman, said he rescued the boy after the child stepped on the loose concrete lid, which caved in and closed on top of him.

Bergman said he saw a mother, who was holding a child in her arms, crossing the road.

“The boy stepped on top of the drain lid, which caved in and he disappeared in the hole. She was screaming hysterically. Although the boy suffered bruises from the fall, he was lucky enough to land on top of a rock in the hole, which helped us to reach him.”

According to Bergman, this was the second time he had to rescue someone from the same hole this year.

“A woman fell into the hole during lockdown when she went to collect food parcels at the school.

“We have requested the municipality several times to replace the lid, but we were ignored.”

The Sol Plaatje Municipality confirmed that it replaced the stolen manhole lid.

Municipal spokesperson, Thoko Riet, said the drain was left open after the metal lid was stolen. She urged members of the community to protect municipal resources.

“There was no cover and we never received any information that the cover was stolen. So when we received the call, we heeded the call and secured another cover.

“Our communities must really assist us in protecting municipal property. We can not continuously replace stolen municipal property. We could have made improvements somewhere else,” said Riet.

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