When a driver became trapped by rising river currents, heroes from emergency services across the Eastern Cape dropped everything to join forces and pull him safely to land.
Eastern Cape, South Africa (23 September 2026) – When a local farmer noticed a citrus collection truck hadn’t arrived on schedule, he went searching for it and discovered the vehicle trapped on a low-lying bridge over the Gamtoos River, between Patensie and Hankey.
Heavy rainfall since May, compounded by recent downpours, had left the bridge submerged under fast-flowing water, stranding the 30-year-old driver inside the truck and unable to escape.
The farmer raised the alarm at 7:33 pm on Friday, September 18, setting off a highly coordinated emergency response. While the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is best known for ocean rescues, its teams are trained for all water-related emergencies, including rivers and dams, and immediately sprang into action to save the day.
Recognising the danger, multiple agencies mobilised simultaneously: the NSRI St Francis Bay dispatched duty crew members and rescue swimmers in a private vehicle. NSRI St Francis Bay dispatched duty crew members and rescue swimmers in a private vehicle. Members of NSRI Gqeberha, East London, and Volunteer Support Centre (VSC), who happened to be gathered in Gqeberha for a regional training exercise, immediately diverted rescue swimmers and vehicles to the scene.
Other emergency services and law enforcement, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), Police Water Policing and Diving Service, Eastern Cape Government Health EMS, and Smart Security, responded to support the effort.
Louwrens Bezuidenhout, NSRI St Francis Bay deputy station commander, said upon arrival, the combined teams confronted a challenging environment. Over the course of three demanding hours, rescue swimmers navigated through the strong, slippery currents to secure anchor ropes to the trapped vehicle. Working together, they established a technical rope pulley system and deployed the NSRI CROC craft directly to the cab.
After securing the driver in a lifejacket, the team carefully navigated him across the swollen river to safety. EMS paramedics evaluated the driver at the scene before transporting him to a hospital for further observation.
With the driver safe and expected to make a full recovery, the multi-agency response teams wrapped up the operation and returned to base at 1 am.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, while the NSRI commended the swift, seamless collaboration that turned a high-risk situation into a successful rescue.
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