Trapped trio rescued by boat in canal after rain batters Cape Town
Fire and rescue crews used a rope pulley system attached to an inflatable boat to reach three men trapped on Thursday by fast-flowing water in a canal swollen by floods in Cape Town.
The rescue was carried out just after noon in a canal adjacent to a railway line in Parow after torrential rain flooded parts of the city.
Crews from Goodwood, Kuilsriver, Bellville, the Training Academy and Metro Rescue were on the scene, said safety and security MMC JP Smith.
“Staff rigged a rope pulley system attached to the boat as the current was extremely strong, undertaking the rescue with non-motorised craft with oars for the safety of the trapped people.
“The first person was rescued at 12.28pm and the other two at 12.38pm. Metro ambulance staff treated the patients.
“The rescue was made more complex by the loss of communications, making decisions difficult, but they used hand signals,” he added.
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