A mother crying desperately for her four-year-old son to be saved from a flooded river is the only memory Aviwe Tembani holds of the tragedy which gripped a small village near Tsholomnqa, outside East London.
He next remembers waking up in a hospital bed with his mother by his side.
The 18-year-old was caught in the centre of a dramatic rescue of a 43-year-old East London woman, who was swept away by the raging waters while attempting to cross a flooded low-level bridge in Zikhova village near Tsholomqa at the weekend.
He has vowed never to return to the bridge if it was to flood again.
The mother, Nonzame Mayeye, was carrying her son, Sindile, on her back at the time.
The two, who are from Braelyn in East London, were visiting the village on Saturday evening for a special all night family prayer meeting.
When they arrived at the bridge, they realised it was flooded. However, a group of young men were helping those wishing to cross it by foot.
Tembani was in the centre of the bridge balancing himself on top of a rock and guiding residents, mostly women and children, to cross.
He said it was just after 5pm and it was still pouring with rain.
“I helped seven people cross the bridge before the woman carrying a baby arrived. I told her everything will be fine, I gave her my elbow to lock hers with.
“As I helped her manoeuvre the bridge, she slipped and fell, causing me to also fall,” Tembani said yesterday.
He said the child was not tucked in a towel and was swept away immediately.
“He vanished into the water. The mother was still within my reach. She was crying and screaming for her baby. People who were standing close by were also screaming and crying. I then dragged her to safety, I do not remember what happened next,” said Tembani.
He said the next thing he saw was his mother, Ntombizandile Tembani, sitting next to his bed at Empilweni Hospital in Gompo on Saturday night.
Witnesses said soon after Tembani ensured that Mayeye was out of danger, he immediately dived into the water to rescue the woman’s son, who had been swept away.
“I believe I did that because I can swim, but I cannot remember it,” Tembani said.
He said at the hospital the doctor told him he was being treated for near drowning symptoms after he had tried to save a child.
After being washed away, Tembani was found clinging to a tree 500m from the bridge.
Sindile’s tiny body was found on Sunday morning stuck in an embankment 300m from where he was swept away. “I will not do it again, I nearly lost my life. My mother is looking up to me to finish my studies and work to support her,” Tembani said.
The pupil from Msobomvu High School missed out on the accounting examination on Monday as he is still recovering at home.
Eastern Cape roads and public works spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said the tragedy came at a time when the department was building a new bridge about a kilometre from where the incident occurred.
“This morning we sent a team of our engineers for a site inspection to see what can be done to alleviate the problem encountered by residents there.
“One of the things we are looking at is to install big pipes on the bridge so that water can flow underneath during flooding,” Zuzile said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Teen relives how he saved drowning mom
He next remembers waking up in a hospital bed with his mother by his side.
The 18-year-old was caught in the centre of a dramatic rescue of a 43-year-old East London woman, who was swept away by the raging waters while attempting to cross a flooded low-level bridge in Zikhova village near Tsholomqa at the weekend.
He has vowed never to return to the bridge if it was to flood again.
The mother, Nonzame Mayeye, was carrying her son, Sindile, on her back at the time.
The two, who are from Braelyn in East London, were visiting the village on Saturday evening for a special all night family prayer meeting.
When they arrived at the bridge, they realised it was flooded. However, a group of young men were helping those wishing to cross it by foot.
Tembani was in the centre of the bridge balancing himself on top of a rock and guiding residents, mostly women and children, to cross.
He said it was just after 5pm and it was still pouring with rain.
“I helped seven people cross the bridge before the woman carrying a baby arrived. I told her everything will be fine, I gave her my elbow to lock hers with.
“As I helped her manoeuvre the bridge, she slipped and fell, causing me to also fall,” Tembani said yesterday.
He said the child was not tucked in a towel and was swept away immediately.
“He vanished into the water. The mother was still within my reach. She was crying and screaming for her baby. People who were standing close by were also screaming and crying. I then dragged her to safety, I do not remember what happened next,” said Tembani.
He said the next thing he saw was his mother, Ntombizandile Tembani, sitting next to his bed at Empilweni Hospital in Gompo on Saturday night.
Witnesses said soon after Tembani ensured that Mayeye was out of danger, he immediately dived into the water to rescue the woman’s son, who had been swept away.
“I believe I did that because I can swim, but I cannot remember it,” Tembani said.
He said at the hospital the doctor told him he was being treated for near drowning symptoms after he had tried to save a child.
After being washed away, Tembani was found clinging to a tree 500m from the bridge.
Sindile’s tiny body was found on Sunday morning stuck in an embankment 300m from where he was swept away. “I will not do it again, I nearly lost my life. My mother is looking up to me to finish my studies and work to support her,” Tembani said.
The pupil from Msobomvu High School missed out on the accounting examination on Monday as he is still recovering at home.
Eastern Cape roads and public works spokesman Mphumzi Zuzile said the tragedy came at a time when the department was building a new bridge about a kilometre from where the incident occurred.
“This morning we sent a team of our engineers for a site inspection to see what can be done to alleviate the problem encountered by residents there.
“One of the things we are looking at is to install big pipes on the bridge so that water can flow underneath during flooding,” Zuzile said. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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