Rescue officials from S.T.A.R.T and Okhahlamba Search and Rescue safely rescued one injured person and recovered the body of one deceased after a bakkie crashed down the Winterton bridge on Saturday evening, 23 April. The bridge that leads into Winterton was filled with bystanders and motorists as they watched officials work.
It is reported that the bakkie was travelling towards Winterton when it crashed alongside the bridge, rolling into the river below it. The vehicle overturned, entrapping one, while the other managed to escape. Motorists who travelled past called for emergency services to assist. “We used ropes and our emergency services to lower teams down towards the vehicle since the river’s current was too strong to enter from the banks,” said Freddie Hallgreen, Chief of Okhahlamba Search and Rescue. With the assistance of officials from S.T.A.R.T, two men were lowered down and the injured person was brought up and taken to the hospital by KZNEMS for medical treatment. It is believed that the second passenger who was entrapped by the vehicle died on the scene. “It is not clear if he had drowned or if he had died of his injuries due to the crash and a post-mortem will be conducted to determine his death,” said officials on the scene. With the assistance of a local breakdown service, a third cable was used to stabilise the vehicle and allow rescue officials to free the entrapped body. The body of the deceased, whose identity is unknown at this stage, was recovered. A case of culpable homicide is being investigated by Winterton Police and the cause of the crash is unknown at this stage.
