Bernadette and Daan Titus, from Ocean View, Jeffreys Bay, still find it difficult to talk about the sudden death of their son, Aiden Titus (5), in a fire in the early hours on Sunday morning.
Daan related the tragic events to Kouga Express, saying that Saturday evening started just like any other.
“After having dinner, Aiden was put to bed in the living room as his room was too far from our bedroom,” explained Daan. “He then called me to sleep next to him, and I slept on a mattress on the floor, next to the couch he was sleeping on.”
Bernadette was asleep in the couple’s bedroom.
At around 02:00 Daan awoke suddenly to find the lounge engulfed in flames. He immediately grabbed Aiden and rushed to Bernadette.
The family sped to Aiden’s bedroom, where Daan broke a window to escape the inferno. In the chaos, Daan helped his wife through the window, thinking that he had already pushed his son through. He followed Bernadette and upon asking her where Aiden was, realised that the boy was still trapped inside the house.
“I rushed to the front door and attempted to break it down to free my son, but to no avail. The flames exploded as I banged on the door, and I fell backwards, just before the whole house collapsed,” said a visibly distraught Daan.
At around 03:00, the couple was taken to Humansdorp hospital by ambulance, to tend to the wounds they sustained in the fire. They were released on Sunday afternoon, and are receiving wound care from the local clinic.
The couple state that they had no idea how the fire started. They did not use candles or gas that evening, as they had electricity in the house. They hope that pending investigations will shed some light on what happened.
The parents are devastated at the tragic loss of their son, who was described as a very well-mannered boy who would pray for their meal every evening.
This tragedy occurred just over a month from what would be Aiden’s sixth birthday, on May 20, and Bernadette had already made plans for his birthday, which will now be a sombre day of remembrance, rather than a celebration.
“We hold on to the belief that God will carry us through this time of mourning and reveal to us what happened that night,” said Bernadette.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Majola Nkohli, confirmed the incident.
