NSRI Gauteng responds to flash flooding:

Gerhard Potgieter, NSRI Gauteng station commander, said: At 18h14, Wednesday, 5 March, NSRI Gauteng duty crew were activated following reports received alerting of residents reporting to be in distress in Randburg, on the Klein Jukskei River, vicinity of the Western Bypass and Gertrude Street, near to Randpark Golf Club, reporting water levels rising at apartment blocks as well as a reported entrapment of residents at a residential home.

Our NSRI Gauteng duty crew responded to our NSRI Gauteng station 27 rescue base and our NSRI Gauteng rescue vehicle, accompanied NSRI Gauteng swift water rescue swimmers and a rescue craft was dispatched to the scene during heavy rainfall.

NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) alerted GEMS (Gauteng Emergency Medical Services).

A GEMS rescue squad, SARZA (Search and Rescue South Africa) and ER24 ambulance services responded.

Residents and motorists were reportedly assisting at the scene.

While responding to the scene additional emergency calls were received alerting of a man trapped in his vehicle in flood waters in the Klein Jukskei River, at the Plantation Bridge crossing, in the vicinity of Beyers Naude Drive and Willowview Drive, Randburg, on the opposite side of Randpark Golf Club.

As a precaution NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam and NSRI Witbank dispatched swift rescue swimmers responding towards Randburg to assist where necessary.

JMPD (Johannesburg Metro Police) had also been activated - during their response they had assisted on routes leading towards the incident at roadways obstructed by flash floods and by trees fallen in roadways caused by flash floods and heavy downpour.

On information that residents and motorists were helping at the incident of the residential home and at the apartment block flooding - rescue services diverted to the scene where it had been reported a man trapped in his vehicle at the Plantation Bridge crossing.

On arrival on the scene, where the motorist was trapped by flood waters in his vehicle, SARZA rescue teams established a rope system to the vehicle - 2 NSRI swift water rescue swimmers, a City of Johannesburg rescue technician and an ER24 rescue technician reached the local adult man who was secured into a life-jacket and rescue helmet and, using the established rope system, the man was waded safely out of the swift flowing waters, to safety.

He was medically assessed by paramedics and in good health, and good spirits, he required no further assistance and after water levels subsided, we believe the vehicle was safely recovered by breakdown services.

NSRI Gauteng and NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam swift water rescue swimmers then attended at the house and apartment blocks where residents had raised the alarm reporting a flooded home and rising water levels at a block of apartments. By that stage this was more a welfare check where residents expressed appreciation for the response, but they were out of danger and no rescue was required.

As quickly as water levels rose during a thunderstorm the water levels subsided.

NSRI Witbank, NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam and NSRI Gauteng returned to base at 22h30 with no further calls for assistance, while City of Johannesburg authorities continued to monitor during the night.

We are appealing to the public not to cross over low lying bridges that are affected by flash floods or waterlogged roadways. Always have safety top of mind.

We commend the swift response of all of the emergency services.