Cape Town – The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Pinelands sewer depot team, found themselves in the right place, at the right time, to go beyond the call of duty and save lives.
When a fire broke out at a double-storey house in Heideveld, eight officials sprang into action, quickly evacuating the family. Among those rescued was a 2-month-old baby.
The team noticed the fire last Monday, November 20, while on their back from attending to a blocked sewer in Athlone.
They had to unexpectedly leave the area they were servicing after a shooting incident sparked safety concerns. As they were driving down Klipfontein Road, they saw a house alight and knew that they had to help.
Some of the team members evacuated the parents and three young children. Another two climbed on to the roof of the garage, then broke through a window to rescue the couple’s 2-month-old baby who was stuck in a bedroom upstairs.
The team then put out the fire, using non-potable water from their truck, normally used to respond to sewer blockages.
When the City’s Fire and Rescue services arrived, the fire had already been extinguished thanks to Lee-Roy Sheldon, Gideon Tyman, Naziem de Jager, Verona Joseph, Ismail Boer, Quinton Sakala, Faeeza Malherbe and Claudia Josias.
The mayoral committee (mayco) Water and Sanitation member Zahid Badroodien met the team to thank them and honour them for their outstanding service, compassion and nimble thinking.
“The heroism that this team displayed shows how officials are every day working together, towards truly making Cape Town a city of hope. They lived our City values boldly and put everything aside to respond to the call of duty.
“Also commendable is the sincerity and care for the well-being of the family in their time of need,” said Badroodien.
Following the incident, the officials took it a step further, personally sponsoring essential items for the family to help them rebuild their lives.
