Heartbreaking rescue efforts in Durban North: boy (3) dies in sandbank collapse

A FIRST responder recalled the harrowing rescue efforts after a three-year-old boy and his sister were trapped under a sandbank that collapsed while they were playing together on Saturday.

The girl was found alive but with critical injuries, while her brother lost his life.

“I will never forget the sight of the siblings' heartbroken father, driven by desperation and love, digging with his bare hands through the mud to look for his children,” recalled Andreas Mathios, Marshall Security’s first responder.

“He was frantic, trembling, and hopeful. When the embankment collapsed and buried the two children, it felt as if time stood still.

“What followed was nothing short of a testament to the strength of human spirit, courage, and compassion. Each handful of earth that the children’s dad moved was powered by anguish and an unrelenting belief that his children could be saved.

“Then came the rescuers, firefighters, metro police search and rescue members, paramedics, and volunteers, who stood together as one."

Mathios said their coordination, strength, and determination carved through the chaos. 

“I saw the hope in their eyes, even as mud covered their faces and exhaustion gripped their bodies. They never stopped. There were premature sighs of relief that broke out as a little girl was found alive.

“There was a glimmer of hope and a breath of light in the dark. But hours later, after tireless excavations and prayers whispered between breaths, the outcome we feared most came to pass. Her little brother was found. He did not survive."

He said a metro police officer gently wiped the mud off his own face, knelt beside the boy, and crossed his small arms with reverence. 

“Then, with unimaginable tenderness, he called the father to say his final goodbyes. No words can describe the sound of a grandfather’s sobs - a soul breaking in real time - or the pain etched into the faces of a family torn apart.

“But amid this tragedy, something sacred rose from the wreckage. It was unity. Neighbours poured in, trauma debriefers stood ready, and community policing forum members were at my side without hesitation.

“We became one body, one heart, holding up a family shattered by grief. Everyone showed up, not because they had to, but because it’s who they are. I thank every first responder, to every neighbour who brought water, a comforting hug, held a hand, and whispered a prayer.

“Last night changed us. It reminded us how fragile life is, but also how powerful love is and how a community can carry the weight of sorrow together and still rise,” Mathios added.

Gareth Naidoo, spokesperson for KZN VIP Emergency Services, said upon arrival, responders discovered that a sandbank had given way, trapping the two minors beneath the debris.

“Thanks to the rapid and coordinated efforts of the rescue teams, one of the children was successfully extricated and immediately transported to a nearby medical facility in critical condition.

“Tragically, after several hours of intense search and rescue operations, the second child was located. Despite the best efforts of rescuers, the child showed no signs of life and was declared deceased at the scene."

Naidoo said the circumstances surrounding how the sandbank collapsed were under investigation by police.

THE POST