Supervisor Mdlalose and Stanley took the time to retrace Peter’s steps, track down the man who had claimed his lost property, retrieve the phone, and charge it before returning it to him!
Durban, South Africa (11 September 2026) – In the last week of August, Peter Booth’s Monday was Mondaying like never before.
Peter had visited his local mall garage to fill up on petrol. Hours later, long after leaving the garage, he realised his phone had vanished and was nowhere to be found.
“31 August 2026, I put in petrol at the Mall garage. Unknown to me departing, I had left my cellphone on the roof of my car. It fell off at the busy turning circle, and I only noticed the phone missing a couple of hours later.” says Peter, as per Watercrest Mall.
He hurried back to the mall and reported the loss to security after his search came up short.
“I was distraught because of all the information stored on my mobile phone.”
The fact of reality is that many of us store our lives on our phones! Banking apps, passwords, contacts, photos and memories. Not all of us know how to back up that information on ‘the cloud’ regularly, either. So, when the little black mirrors we keep in our pockets go missing, we go into panic mode. As Peter quite rightly did.
“Things became even more stressful when I arrived at my bank only to find it had just closed.” says Peter. “Dejected, my wife and I headed home.”
On the drive back, Peter’s wife received a call. It was Watercrest Mall Security. After tracing back Peter’s steps on CCTV and tracking down the person who had laid claim to his lost property, they’d retrieved the phone…and they’d put it on charge for him!
“On arrival at Security, I met Stanley and Supervisor Mdlalose who informed me that the battery was flat, so they had already started charging the device.” says Peter.
Related Stories
“After reviewing camera footage covering the turning circle, they were able to see the phone slide off the roof of my car and fall onto the road. Several vehicles passed over it before it was picked up by a man known to Security. Through their efforts, they followed him on camera, located him, and retrieved my precious phone.”
Stellies Scientists Discover River Yeasts That Could Help Predict Dangerous Infections
Erryn Finds a Friend and Musical Companion in His Guide Dog, KyliePeter got his phone back, and in working condition! A job very well done by two security officers who had all the best intentions to help.
“Surprisingly, the damage was limited to only a few scratches on the back cover. Isn’t it wonderful to know that there are still honest people who genuinely have your welfare at heart?” says Peter.
The mall shared the happy outcome on social media, praising its security officers for not missing a beat.
“Thank you to Stanley, Supervisor Mdlalose and the entire Security Team for demonstrating professionalism, integrity, dedication, and exceptional customer service. We are proud of the difference you make in our community every day.” shared Watercrest Mall.
by 
