Ten Month Old Airlifted To Johannesburg

A ten month old baby boy, who was in a critical condition with severe pneumonia and a collapsed lung, was transported by the ER24 Discovery Medicopter from Trichardt to a Johannesburg hospital for further treatment. The baby needed assisted ventilation, but was stable, although still critical, during the flight. He will be further assessed by the doctors in Johannesburg and treateed accordingly.

Eight people were injured after two minibus taxis crashed on Voortrekker Road, just before Vanguard Drive, in Goodwood.

When emergency services arrived on the scene they found one of the taxis had smashed into a cement pillar of a car dealership.

Eight patients were treated for minor to moderate injuries on scene before being transported to various surrounding hospitals for further medical care.

It is alleged that the one taxi hit the other taxi from behind causing it to crash into the pillar. Voortrekker Road was closed in the direction Maitland for approximately half a hour while emergency services worked on the scene.

Man Falls Nine Storeys to His Death

A young man, estimated to be in his early twenties, has lost his life after falling nine storeys. At this point, it is unclear as to the motive of the man's death, but the South African Police will be investigating all possibilities.

ER24 paramedics were called to the scene after the man was found on the first floor ledge. It is believed that the man fell out of the tenth floor window of a building on the corners of Market and Von Wielligh street in the central business district of Johannesburg. The paramedics had to gain access to the man through the window onto the ledge, where they found him to have sustained multiple fatal injuries, including multiple broken bones, a suspected head injury and severe chest injuries. The young man was declared deceased on the scene.

Police will attempt to locate the man's family as there seemed to be no one on the scene who knew him very well. The building where the tragedy occurred appeared to be a block of flats, with small businesses run on the ground floor.

Driver Flees After Knocking Down Pedestrian

A young female, believed to be in her late teens, was knocked down and critically injured after a light motor vehicle knocked her down at the intersection of Commercial and Prince Alfred street this morning in Pietermaritzburg.

ER24 responded to the scene and found the young female being treated by members of the public. She was lying near a fence that had spikes on it. She had suffered critical abdominal injuries after the spikes on the fence had penetrated and cut open her abdomen. Advanced Life Support intervention had to be performed before she was rushed off to Grey’s Hospital in a critical condition for further medical care.

It is believed that the young female was walking along the pavement on Commercial road with her boyfriend towards the shop. The driver of the light motor vehicle came out of Prince Alfred street and lost control where the road joined Commercial street, and the vehicle then mounted the pavement. The girl's boyfriend was able to get out of the way quickly enough, but unfortunately the young girl was struck by the car and catapulted into the fence. The driver then drove off, but was caught in Chapel street by the local authorities who witnessed the incident.

Learner Driver Does It Wrong

We have all been through it; going for lessons to pass your drivers license has always been nerve racking for everybody. One person found it more nerve racking after crashing the learner vehicle into a wall this afternoon in Pinetown.

ER24 paramedics were notified that a vehicle had crashed into a wall off Manors road. Once on the scene, they found a driving school vehicle had crashed into a fence. No one was injured in the accident but the driver who was practicing to drive was a little shaken up.

It is believed that somehow the driver lost control while taking the corner and counter steered and crashed into the wall. The owner of the property arrived and said that this was the second time that this kind of thing had happened.

SAPS arrived on the scene and would investigate the accident further.

Light Aircraft Does Emergency Landing

Members of the public walking along Durban beach front were not just seeing things when they noticed a light aircraft flying rather low near the shore. Not long after that, the aircraft crash landed on to South beach.

ER24 paramedics, along with other emergency personnel, arrived on the scene to find the aircraft still on three wheels in the middle of the beach. Members of the public had gathered around the plane in amazement.

The pilot and co pilot were unharmed in the incident but were taken to hospital by ambulance for a general check up.

It is believed that the light aircraft had started to have engine failure and the pilot had to prepare for an emergency landing. He noticed an open space on the beach and prepared for the landing. At this thime the only damage to the plane that could be seen was on the left wing which had hit a pole that was in the sand.

The necessary authorities have been notified.

21 Injured In Collision

A collision between a bakkie, a taxi and a light motor vehicle has left twenty one people injured this morning. The incident took place on Edendale and Caluza road near the BP garage in Pietermaritzburg.

ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene and found the three vehicles in the intersection, with all the patients strewn across the road. It seems that community members had pulled the victims from the vehicles before emergency personnel had arrived on the scene.

A fifteen year old girl was left in a critical condition, and needed advanced life support intervention for her injuries. Seven other commuters had sustained serious injuries, while the remaining thirteen had sustained minor to moderate injuries. All patients were stabilised on the scene and transported to various hospitals in the greater Pietermaritzburg area.

It is unclear as to who was at fault, but the necessary authorities were on the scene and would be investigating the incident further.

A man, estimated to be in his mid thirties, died after being hit by a train, near the Tygerberg Station, in Parow.

When paramedics arrived on the scene the Fire Department was in attendance and had declared the man dead. He had sustained severe traumatic injuries and probably died on impact.

The passenger train was travelling towards Cape Town when the man is believed to have walked across the tracks in front of the train. The necessary authorities will be investigating the incident.

Contact Centre Compliment

I would like to compliment the road crews as well as the call taker (Koba) for a case that was done today (25 July 2010) for a child resuscitation in the Johannesburg South area (Robertsham)

The address was taken (from a very stressed mother) in a short space of time, the details given by the supervisor to myself, who was able to dispatch the crews and get them there in a remarkably short space of time. The patient was successfully resuscitated with telephonic guidance from Koba, the call taker, and the ALS and crews transported the patient to Garden City Clinic.

I cannot emphasize the team work in this case and how important it was to save this child’s life, and I wish we had many more like Koba and the road crews, Edmond, Justice and Shamiel.

I am sure this is one of those cases where ER24 can talk about and shine when a call taker is an angel and recognized for their important part in saving a life.

Jacky Hollins

Fatal Collision on Vissershok Road.

A collision between an Uno and a Toyota Fortuna, on Vissershok Road, near the N7, left one person dead and another injured this morning.

The male driver of the Uno, estimated to be in his late twenties, was trapped in the vehicle and dead on arrival of emergency services. The body of the man needed to be cut from the wreckage by Metro Rescue.

The Toyota was lying on its roof with the female driver still in the vehicle. Paramedics extricated the lady onto spinal immobilisation equipment and transported her, in a stable condition, to Durbanville Medi-Clinic.

It is alleged that the driver of the Uno may have lost control of the vehicle resulting in the collision. Police were on scene and are investigating the incident.