George tragedy: Man rescued from collapsed building after being trapped for 30 hours

Amidst the chaos and devastation of a collapsed building in George, a father’s agony turned to overwhelming relief as his son emerged alive after an arduous 30-hour ordeal. 

RESCUERS SAVED 29-YEAR-OLD DELVIN SAFERS ON TUESDAY

Deon Safers recounts the emotional rollercoaster of his son Delvin’s miraculous rescue from the rubble of a construction site in George. 

According to a report by the George Herald, 29-year-old Delvin was rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building in Victoria Street on Tuesday, 7 May.

He was one of a team of five electricians from Terayne Electrical Maintenance working on the construction site. His colleagues are still trapped.

For almost 30 hours, Delvin remained trapped under the construction debris but fortunately had his mobile phone with him, enabling him to communicate with his father and rescue workers throughout the ordeal.

LUCKILY HE HAD HIS MOBILE PHONE WITH HIM

“I was in contact with him [Delvin] and one of the rescue workers the whole time. I knew there was hope, that my son was alive and that he would get out there at any moment,” his father told the publication.

While trapped between the cement and steel, Delvin had to intermittently turn off his phone to conserve the battery.

“On Monday night, his phone’s battery was at 10%,” says Deon.

“But that 10% carried him through to the next day, and he was still able to send messages. It was only the Lord’s grace.”

‘IT WAS JUST A MIRACLE THAT MY CHILD GOT OUT ALIVE’

Deon stopped by the scene on Tuesday night after he came home from the hospital to recover.

“When I came back to the scene I said to myself that it was just a miracle that my child got out alive. They told me that there was a big concrete block lying next to him that missed him by centimeters. If the block fell on him, he was certainly dead.”

According to his father, Delvin suffered bruises on his face and head. He is currently recovering in George Hospital.

Meanwhile, a total of 44 workers are still unaccounted for on Thursday.

IN THE LATEST UPDATE, A TOTAL OF 44 WORKERS REMAIN UNACCOUNTED FOR

On Thursday, authorities revealed that the site had 81 workers, not the initially reported 75.

Debra Sauer, Communications Officer of the George Municipality, requested that members of the public avoid the surroundings of the incident site at Victoria Street.

“This is due to the constant movement of heavy vehicles assisting with the removal of building rubble. In the ongoing rescue response, workers must remove 3000 cubic tonnes of concrete from the site.

By midday on Thursday, rescuers had retrieved 37 workers, she said. Eight workers have died, while 16 others sustained critical injuries. 

AUTHORITIES HAVE DECLARED EIGHT WORKERS DEAD

Six more workers have sustained life-threatening injuries, and seven workers sustained minor injuries. 

Sauer added that the rescue operation has reached 72 hours, as of 14:00 on Thursday.