A man tragically died after a water pipe burst while he had been working in a trench. Picture: IPSS Medical Rescue.
A man drowned in a freak accident on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast on Wednesday afternoon.
Emergency workers said the man had been working in a trench in the Salt Rock area when the water pipe burst.
The incident took place around 5pm.
According to Dylan Meyrick from IPSS Medical Rescue the contractor was carrying out repairs when he drowned.
“Reports from the scene indicate that the man was busy working in a trench when a water pipe burst. This caused the trench to collapse, burying the man waist deep in sand and then filling up with water,” Meyrick said.
“Sadly, the man was unable to escape, and colleagues were unable to dig him out,” he said.
“IPSS Medical Rescue paramedics, as well as IPSS Search and Rescue members, worked alongside Kwadukuza Fire Department and CERT Tongaat to free the man. “Sadly, he was declared deceased on scene.”
Meyrick sent their sincere condolences to the victim’s family and friends.
KZN police spokesperson, Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, said Umhlali police are investigating an inquest docket following an incident in which a 40-year-old man drowned in Salt Rock on Wednesday.
“It is alleged that the victim was digging trenches when the water pipe burst and drowned.”
Meanwhile last month, a man was found dismembered while allegedly interfering with eThekwini Municipality’s infrastructure.
The incident took place place at the City’s northern aqueduct pipeline in Durban.
At the time eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana said: “The municipality can confirm that the deceased was found dismembered on site by the South African Police Service (SAPS) where the air valve was found tampered and ultimately removed causing excessive water from the trunk main pipeline to flood the chamber.
IOL News
*This story has been updated to include comment from SAPS.
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