It was a matter of being at the right place at the right time for Helderberg locals Jolene Cloete of Helderberg Community-oriented Project Service (Cops) and Getruida Hendriks of Oasis Helderberg Drop-in Centre, who were travelling together on the N2 highway last Monday afternoon (4 December), when they witnessed an accident near the Broadway Boulevard off-ramp.
“I saw a truck switch lanes and the two cars behind it had to brake suddenly, both vehicles lost control and spun off the road,” Cloete related.
“We stopped immediately to help. There were four people in a silver car, which rolled on the embankment and I heard the woman scream, ‘My baby my baby!’”
Cloete sprang into action and rushed to the overturned vehicle as her first concern, on learning there was a baby inside, to ensure he or she was okay.
“The mother was breastfeeding the baby when the incident occurred. When I ran over and we found the baby under the seat, totally unharmed.
“The mother received a nasty bump on her head but everyone else was uninjured.”
Cloete added that the family was on their way home to Hermanus when the accident occurred.
She praised the response of Getruida, who assisted in diverting traffic flow and also provided on-scene counselling to the victims.
“We are also very appreciative of the quick, swift response of the Strand police officers on duty for their assistance, alongside law-enforcement and ambulance services who arrived promptly. A special shout-out to our Helderberg Crime Watch team for their swift response and coordination from the control room.
“There were also numerous individuals who stopped to help, showcasing their commitment to aiding the vehicle and its occupants. It was truly amazing to see so many people jump into action directly after the accident.
Strand police confirmed that an accident between two vehicles occurred at around 14:00 on the day.
“No case has yet been opened” a police spokesperson confirmed.
