{"id":46640,"date":"2024-03-21T05:30:10","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T03:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/train-driver-rescues-lost-boerboel-from-southern-line-tracks-20240321\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T22:18:45","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T20:18:45","slug":"train-driver-rescues-lost-boerboel-from-southern-line-tracks-20240321","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/train-driver-rescues-lost-boerboel-from-southern-line-tracks-20240321\/","title":{"rendered":"Train driver rescues lost Boerboel from Southern Line tracks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What do a train driver, a Boerboel and a dog behaviourist have in common? Nothing, generally speaking, except for one fateful day Riyaad Sampson, driving a Prasa passenger train, spotted a lone and lost Boerboel roaming along the Southern Line train tracks between Steenberg and Lakeside stations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What do a train driver, a Boerboel and a dog behaviourist have in common? Nothing, generally speaking, except for one fateful day Riyaad Sampson, driving a Prasa passenger train, spotted a lone and lost Boerboel roaming along the Southern Line train tracks between Steenberg and Lakeside stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of blaring the siren and forging ahead, potentially harming the dog not to mention the passengers whose safety he was directly responsible for, Sampson simply stopped the train dead in its tracks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a routine trip early one morning. About 50 m before approaching Lakeside, I noticed there was something on the tracks. And my job as a train driver is to make sure there are no obstructions on the line, because obstructions cause derailments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sampson admitted to putting his passengers\u2019 safety and, by implication, his own on a fully loaded train first, but his magnanimous act of saving the life of a wandering Boerboel has tugged deeply at the South\u2019s heartstrings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So much so, Ward 71 councillor Carolynne Franklin and Paws-a-While jointly organised an event to honour his humane act at the CHS Life Centre in Kirstenhof on Thursday 14 March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here Sampson could tell the story that made him a local hero: \u201cI slowed down, not quite sure what it was. As I approached, I noticed it was a dog sitting, calmly staring out over the mountains and a river nearby.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, he recognised all the plusses such a story would engender \u2014 the warm-heartedness, the humour, the life-affirming drama of it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a stranger to the Boerboel Sampson deemed it best to keep a safe distance and opted to hoot the siren lightly to urge the dog on, pressured as he was to keep the train on schedule. But when the Boerboel remained sitting leisurely enjoying the view he then opted to inch the train forward, to shunt the doggie along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis continued until we reached the station and, by that time, bystanders at the station had taken note of what was happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Franklin recalled it was at this moment that the story went viral on community WhatsApp groups when a video was shared on the Kirstenhof Neighbourhood Watch Group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when another hero, dog behaviourist and fellow member of the neighbourhood watch Jamie Pieterse stepped in to ensure the dog\u2019s safe return to its rightful owners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe moment the video surfaced I got my things and grabbed some dog treats and a leash to appease the dog,\u201d he told People\u2019s Post<\/span>. \u201cI walked along the tracks from Steenberg to Lakeside Station, following paw prints to try and track him down, and then all the way back along the grassy planes with little luck.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon enough, after questioning police and locals, Pieterse managed to find the Boerboel unharmed and returned him to his owners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA\u2019s spokesperson Belinda Abrahams was thrilled to celebrate Sampson for his simple gesture, which testified to a little humane compassion that saved the life of, not just a dog, but man\u2019s best friend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She recited a poem \u201cJust a dog\u201d by Richard Biby that spoke to the significance of safeguarding all animals. \u201c\u2018I hope that some day they can understand that its\u2019 not \u201cjust a dog\u201d but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being \u201cjust a man\u201d or \u201cjust a woman\u201d . . .\u2019 In this line, we\u2019re reminded that compassion and kindness lie at the very heart of humanity. Without it we are lost as a society, because to dismiss the plight of an animal as insignificant is to dismiss the qualities of compassion and empathy that make us truly human.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story is like a gift that keeps on giving, as it fosters awareness among fellow train drivers, passengers and the broader community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portia Gordon, Prasa\u2019s train-operations and customer-service manager, said this spoke volumes about the train driver\u2019s character: \u201cThis is such a feel-good story and I saw the viral reaction; Riyaad was a celebrity, and because it was on my line I was so proud of him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gordon said it also drew attention to the need for sirens that alert people to railway occurrences, especially those known to elicit the attention of residents. \u201cThank you for honouring Riyaad. I know our drivers, and now he has set a precedent for other train drivers to effect the same kindness and humanity, particularly towards animals in danger on the train tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Franklin chimed in: \u201cI often get complaints about the sirens. However, new-generation trains like Prasa\u2019s move so sleekly and silently we\u2019ve actually seen an increase in animals on the Southern Line. Old-generation trains used to be loud enough to warn animals on the tracks of the impending danger, but this shows the importance of sirens in alerting both people and animals.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People\u2019s furry friends not only enrich their daily lives with unconditional companionship, but have a way of bringing a community together, testifying to love, compassion and little acts of kindness that go a long way. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What do a train driver, a Boerboel and a dog behaviourist have in common? 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driver rescues lost Boerboel from Southern Line tracks | People's Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/train-driver-rescues-lost-boerboel-from-southern-line-tracks-20240321\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Train driver rescues lost Boerboel from Southern Line tracks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What do a train driver, a Boerboel and a dog behaviourist have in common? 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