The City of Tshwane Emergency Services Department rescued, treated and transported patients, and conducted body recoveries during various incidents on the weekend of 19 to 21 February 2021. Some of the incidents led to road closures, and had horrific loss of life and injuries.

Recovery of body of hiker in Groenkloof Nature Reserve

Firefighters were called to recover and carry a body of a female hiker down the hill in the Groenkloof Nature Reserve on the afternoon of 20 February 2021. ER24 paramedics had already declared the female patient dead after attempts to resuscitate her had failed. She apparently collapsed while doing a ten-kilometre hike with her family in the nature reserve. Firefighters, paramedics, police officers and nature reserve staff exchanged hands to carry her body down the hill. The family arranged for private retrieval of her body by an undertaker.  

Tractor capsizes killing driver

Firefighters had earlier in the day responded to an incident on the R25 Road near the Lynwood road where a tractor capsized, killing a male driver.

Suicide off Atterbury Bridge causes highway closure

The N1 Highway had to be closed on the evening of Saturday, 20 February 2021, until after midnight after a 13-car pile-up accident occurred as a secondary accident after a male patient fell from the Atterbury Bridge onto the highway. It is suspected that the male patient committed suicide by jumping off the Atterbury Bridge onto the highway at approximately 18:10, causing a truck accident that led to the highway closure with traffic diversion from the Atterbury Bridge. Paramedics declared the patient dead at the scene. 18 people sustained multiple injuries of varying severity in a secondary accident that occurred later, leading to a further closure of the highway and traffic diversion at the Garsfontein off-ramp until after midnight. The patients were transported by ambulance to Mamelodi Hospital and other nearby hospitals in the east of Pretoria.

Pedestrian killed by vehicle on the N4

At approximately 21:00 on 20 February 2021, the N4 near the R101 bridge was a scene of a horrific accident where firefighters and paramedics found the decapitated body of a male pedestrian after he was hit by a vehicle travelling east on the N4. The vehicle lost control after hitting the pedestrian and hit a truck travelling in the opposite direction. The driver of the vehicle was also declared dead at the scene. Firefighters, paramedics and forensic pathology services personnel had to search for the dismembered body parts of the pedestrian. The driver of the truck escaped unharmed.

Critical injuries caused by accident on the R631

Four adults and a child of about five years sustained multiple injuries when two of the vehicles they were travelling in were involved in an accident on the R631 (Boschkop Road) near Tiegerpoort Road at approximately 19:20 on Saturday. A male patient whose leg was amputated as a result of the accident was transported by ambulance to Life Wilgers Hospital in a critical condition. Two of the other patients, male and female, were transported to Mamelodi Hospital with minor to moderate injuries. The child and one male patient were also transported to hospital with moderate to serious injuries.

Diesel spillage contained

Firefighters contained a diesel spillage of about 1 000 litres on Sunday, 21 February 2012, after a road tanker carrying oxygen collided with stationary vehicles in the parking area of Netcare Pretoria East Hospital not far from its intensive care unit. A male patient was treated by Netcare paramedics, and firefighters had to remain at the scene for possible fire protection during the spillage clean-up and recovery of the road tanker.

Male trapped under vehicle after losing control

A man lost his life after he apparently lost control of his vehicle on the Bushveld Road in Mmakaunyana Village. City of Tshwane emergency firefighters were called to the scene to help paramedics recover the body of the male patient underneath the vehicle that had collapsed on him after overturning.

Investigations into the cause of the alleged suicide, the subsequent pile-up accident and other accidents and incidents remain the subject of investigation.