Three dead as farm workers trapped by Cape floods

Staff Reporter

Three people died, and 23 farm workers were rescued after flooding trapped them in farm buildings in the area between Worcester and Rawsonville, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said on Wednesday.

Those rescued included babies, children, elderly people, a blind man and a paraplegic man.

The two deceased men and a deceased woman were located and recovered from flooded buildings on the farm during a mass rescue operation on Tuesday.

“The bodies of the deceased have been taken into the care of police and government health forensic pathology services. Condolences are conveyed to the families of the deceased,” NSRI Kleinmond station commander Schalk Boonzaaier said.

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The Western Cape has been experiencing severe weather, which lead to the South African Weather Services (SAWS) issuing Orange Level 8 and Level 6 warnings for disruptive rainfall until Tuesday. SAWS said residents should prepare for flooding of roads, bridges and settlements, mudslides and danger from fast-flowing rivers.

It also warned that very cold, wet and windy conditions were expected to persist until Wednesday.

The rescue started when NSRI Kleinmond crew were activated on Tuesday morning following a request for assistance from the Western Cape Government Health EMS Metro Rescue and Western Cape Disaster Risk Management, working with Overberg Disaster Risk Management.

The request followed reports that farm workers were trapped on the roofs of farm buildings on a farm along the Old N1 roadway.

Boonzaaier said NSRI Kleinmond crew mustered at the NSRI Kleinmond Station 42 rescue base before proceeding to the EMS rescue base at Worcester in an NSRI rescue vehicle, towing the NSRI JetRIB rescue craft. They were accompanied by NSRI CROCS, small floating rescue craft, and private vehicles used by NSRI crews.

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