KZN floods: Driver details escaping sinking vehicle to find safety

A driver of a black Ford Ranger managed to flee to safety in KZN recently. Naieem Essop took to Facebook to comment about the harrowing situation he faced in Umdloti Beach.

Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) shared images and a video of Essop’s vehicle submerged in water. According to RUSA, they responded to a call in the area around 21:06 on Saturday, 21 May.

Upon arrival, members saw the bakkie partially submerged in water. The headlights of the vehicle were on and the windows were open. RUSA officers investigated and established that Essop attempted to cross the flooded road. His vehicle then stalled.

The driver explained what happened

Essop explained that around 18:30 he attempted to cross the bridge. At the time, the water was low. Halfway through crossing the bridge, the walls collapsed but he managed to keep the vehicle on the bridge.

Essop said he wedged his car between a tree so it would not get washed away. He managed to exit through a window and climbed a tree. Sea Rescue officers were on the scene at the time and assisted him.

“This happened around 6.30 pm I was the driver of the vehicle the water on the bridge was low when we were exiting through when the vehicle was halfway through the walls collapsed. I managed to keep the vehicle on the bridge I wedged it between the tree so we didn’t get washed away we exited through the window and went clinging to the tree lucky for us there was the sea rescue on the scene at that time so we are fine. Seems like the road collapsed and the tyres were bogged,”

said Essop.

WATCH: Part of block of flats collapses, washed away in latest KZN floods

After less than a month to even start to recover from last month’s brutal KZN floods, it is happening again. After a weekend of downpours and storms, video footage has emerged showing a building in Umdloti being washed away as a result of the weather. With a Level 10 weather warning out for KwaZulu-Natal, the province is once again in all kinds of trouble.

Several residents in Umdloti north of Durban have been left homeless. Part of a block of flats in a complex in the area washed away. Heavy rainfall and mudslides led to the ground collapsing around and under the buildings.

The entire Surfside complex has also had to be evacuated as a result of the damage from the KZN floods.