HIGH DRAMA ON THE DAM WALL

After NSRI Hartbeespoort received reports of a seriously injured casualty, the station’s crew quickly went to work to save a life. By Wendy Maritz

BEING THE ONLY RESCUE service on and near Hartbeespoort Dam, Station 25 crew see their fair share of callouts. These range from serious situations on the dam, including vessels getting stuck in hyacinth (82 people were rescued from a barge in just such a predicament earlier this year), fires on boats, animal and bird rescues, assisting with emergencies on the rivers surrounding the dam (such as flash floods), home-based rescues, and helping the SAPS to recover bodies.

In early March, the station received a call from SAPS reporting that there was a critically injured female at the southern side of the dam wall. Realising how serious the situation was, the crew together with SRU (Strategic Rescue Unit) mobilised quickly, taking their rescue vehicle and trailer (already prepped with necessary equipment) and arrived on scene within seven minutes. ‘If the callout is related to the dam wall, we automatically take the trailer,’ says Station 25 station commander Arthur Crewe. ‘And in this particular instance, we also realised we didn’t have much time to get her to hospital, probably 25 minutes tops,’ he adds.

‘We discovered the severely injured casualty on the sluice. The only way to get to her was down the dam wall. Monique Crewe and Keagan Crewe kitted up and, using specialised safety rigging, descended first to assess and then begin stabilising her. She was conscious and talking to the crew,’ Arthur explains. In addition to her neck and back injuries, the dam was in flood and the sluice itself covered with water. They knew they had a challenging rescue on their hands.

‘We also had to strategise how to get the paramedics to her and how we would evacuate her. Using a helicopter was not an option because of the wind. And taking her back up the dam wall was far too dangerous.’

‘We contacted Madibeng Water to start the process of closing the sluices, and called ambulance services. The water on the sluice subsided somewhat, but the remaining sludge can be very dangerous and slippery. We also had to strategise how to get the paramedics to her and how we would evacuate her. Using a helicopter was not an option because of the wind. And taking her back up the dam wall was far too dangerous.’

Arthur was keenly aware that time was not on their side. So, a decision was made to rig rope lines across the sluice – the safest option was to transport the casualty to the other side of the sluice. ‘It was very tricky,’ he adds. But doing things this way would also be time efficient as, once on the other side, she could be carried on land, albeit through some rough terrain filled with thorn trees, to the roadway and taken to hospital.

This evacuation involved the use of high-angle and swift-water technical gear and expertise. NSRI crew have been trained and are highly skilled in this kind of work, which often means the difference between life and death.

With the use of the rigging, the casualty was successfully and safely transported across the sluice and taken to the waiting ambulance. The entire rescue lasted about 25 minutes.

This evacuation involved the use of high-angle and swift-water technical gear and expertise. NSRI crew have been trained and are highly skilled in this kind of work, which often means the difference between life and death. On average, about five callouts per season involve ropework of some kind. Arthur recalls a seven-hour rescue that involved removing a family from their vessel which was stuck in the hyacinth. ‘The water wasn’t deep, prob- ably only 30cm, but underneath that is silt, which can literally suck you under. So we had to set up safety lines between the casualty vessel and ours, and then our rescue swimmers assisted each family member to safety.’

Station 25 has been in service for 20 years this year. We commend the crew for their agility and the teamwork involved in bringing the severely injured casualty to safety, and we are deeply grateful to them for keeping a watchful eye on and assisting visitors to the dam during emergencies.