Paramedics and the SAPS Search and Rescue team conducted a two-hour rescue on Sunday, 16 September, attending to a man who fell approximately 100m from the Shongweni bridge on the N3 this evening.
The 35-year-old man went over the side of the bridge, while witnesses said his car was parked nearby. The reason for his fall is unclear and will be investigated by the police who were involved in the call.
Paramedics arrived on scene and were almost certain that the man had been killed after the almost 100m fall into the dense bush below, but rescuers found him alert and conscious, and complaining of pain.
Immediate efforts were started to set up the rescue equipment, including a specialised stretcher. Almost two hours later, and their patient still in a stable condition, rescuers had managed to bring the man up to the top of the bridge and he was further treated for his injuries.
Despite the distance of the fall, he had sustained only what seemed to be a broken arm, possible neck and back injuries and multiple scrapes and abrasions. He was taken by ambulance to the Hillcrest Private Hospital for further care.
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