Rescue workers left no stone unturned in their efforts to free a panicked little boy trapped in tiny space between two buildings.
Matthew Frimpong said it felt like a lifetime from the moment he heard his son Bright’s pleas for help until rescue workers managed to free the frantic child from the space measuring approximately 30 cm wide.
A small crowd gathered in Hlobo Avenue near the taxi rank in Zwelihle after they had heard of the 8-year-old boy’s predicament on Wednesday 15 March. Some tried to assist Matthew and his brother Desmond Lamptey as they struggled to free the small boy from the even smaller space.
The drama began when Bright went outside to play while his father was having his laptop repaired.
“A short while later I heard him shouting ‘Dadda! Dadda, help me!’ We panicked and tried to pull him free, but couldn’t.”
When all their efforts failed, they called the ambulance services.
“When the ambulance came they called the firefighters, who arrived very quickly,” Lamptey said.
“We were panicked when he became quiet because we didn’t know what was happening to him.”
The paramedics interacted with the child and calmed him while the firefighters and officials from the Western Cape Emergency Medical Services Ambulance and Rescue units decided on the best course of action to free him.
In the end they decided to use rotary saws and other rescue tools to saw a big hole in the wall of one of the buildings through which they extracted him. One of the paramedics sat close to the child to calm him throughout the noisy rescue process.
“The rescue workers did an excellent job!” a grateful Lamptey said.
Captain Fadila September, spokesperson for Hermanus police, confirmed police were on the scene to assist with crowd control. Traffic officials were also on the scene to direct traffic.
Matthew recalled how he had feared for his son’s life but was reassured on seeing how tirelessly everyone worked to free his son.
“I thought my son was going to die,” he recalled. “He was crying and so scared he didn’t even want to play on my phone while they worked hard to save him.”
Bright was taken to hospital, but was found only to have sustained some abrasions. The emotional scars may well take longer to heal, though.
“My heart is still sore,” said his dad, “but I am very grateful that my son is fine. To the people who saved my son I just want to say ‘May God bless you so you may continue to do this good work.’”
Deputy Mayor of Overstrand, Cllr Lindile Ntsabo, who is also Mayoral Committee Member for Protection Services, lauded the firefighters for their diligence and tireless efforts.
He said: “Our appreciation goes to the men and women in uniform who put the child’s welfare above their own safety and who worked tirelessly to extricate him from the tight spot he found himself in.”
