A 27 year old man has died after a building collapsed on him while he was digging a trench at a building site in Macassar.

When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene they could see that the incident was severe. The entire building structure had collapsed to its one side into the trench the worker was digging.

Rescue workers used equipment to lift the building structure so that Emergency Medical Personnel could get to the worker. Unfortunately the worker sustained various crushing injuries and was later declared dead at the scene.

The appropriate authority will be investigating the incident further.

Andre Visser, ER24

A child has been bitten in the face by a dog this morning in Winburg. It is believed that it was a Boerboel that had bitten the child.

A family, originally from Brakpan, were at a wedding in Winburg and they were staying over at a guest house in the area. When they allegedly went to collect something outside this morning the two small children went to play on the swings. The 3 year old’s father saw what happened and went and rescued his child from the dog. They immediately phoned Mediclinic Bloemfontein for assistance who then dispatched the ER24 ambulance along with an Advanced Life Support paramedic. Contact was made between the family and paramedics and the family had already put the child in the car and would meet the ambulance en route on the N1.

The paramedics located the family in their car and took over treatment of the little boy. The child was in a stable condition but had suffered multiple cuts to his cheeks, nose and chin.

He was taken by ambulance to Mediclinic Bloemfontein for further care.

Vanessa Jackson, ER24

Paramedics from the JHB South area were driving along Columbine Road towards Klipriver in Mondeor when they saw two men running around the side of the road jumping up and down waving their arms in the air. The paramedics stopped to see what the commotion was and immediately saw a large number of bees flying around the two men’s heads.

The paramedics parked a safe distance away and luckily not too long after they got out of their vehicle the bees seemed to have fled, possibly due to the men’s colleagues having shooed them away with their rakes and sticks. Paramedics indicated to the two men to approach them and they assessed them on the side of the road.

Both men had sustained multiple stings and one of the men needed Advanced Life Support treatment. He had been stung in his mouth and all over his head and chest. He was stabilised at the scene and was taken by ambulance to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto along with his colleague. Both men were in a stable a condition and would receive further care at hospital.

The local municipality was called to warn them of possible further incidents in that area as there were still 4 people continuing with their work. They would be able to send professionals out to the site to investigate.

Vanessa Jackson, ER24

A young boy and his mother apparently play almost every afternoon at the stadium in Vandebijlpark. Unfortunately, this afternoon, the 11 year old was injured after he apparently lost his footing while playing at the top of the steps.

The events are not totally clear, but paramedics were told that the boy was playing on the top steps of the stadium and may have lost his footing causing him to roll down all of the steps to the bottom. Approximately 100 steps down he landed at the bottom where paramedics found him with very serious injuries.

The ER24 Discovery Medicopter was called in to assist with the transportation of the young boy to hospital, and while paramedics stabilised the boys injuries the Medicopter booked en route. The boy was treated for a severely broken right arm and left leg and possible internal injuries from the fall, but luckily he was still conscious and in a stable condition.

The Medicopter landed on the field in the stadium and airlifted the boy to the Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg. Trauma staff were waiting the arrival of the Medicopter to initial immediate treatment to the inured boy.

Vanessa Jackson, ER24

A 38 year old woman is in a serious condition after she was thrown from her horse on the Finlands Farm near to Gordons Bay this afternoon.

ER24 received the call through our National Emergency Contact Centre from the family, informing that the patient had been thrown from the horse and was in a serious condition. Paramedics arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and found the woman lying on the floor with her family around her. They quickly assessed her and found that she was in a lot of pain and that she had some broken bones, suspected chest injuries and suspected neck and back injuries. Advanced Life Support intervention was performed on the patient before she was transported to Tygerberg Hospital in a serious condition for further medical intervention.

It is not clear what caused the horse to catapulted the woman from her saddle but lucky that her family were close by and were able to get help quickly.

Derrick Banks, ER24

Willie Cronjé, 44, who had a medical practice in Queenswood, was also a part-time game farmer.

He and his son, Willem, 18, were on his game farm Uitkyk, about 20km from Boshof in the Free State, when the tragedy occurred.

A local vet had sedated two buffaloes in order to do blood tests before the animals were to be sold.

Tried to close gate

Beeld columnist Blou Willem Theron from Pretoria, a friend of the family, said one of the buffaloes woke up in the boma and stormed at Cronjé.

Cronjé apparently wanted to close a gate in the boma to stop the buffalo from going into the wrong pen.

He died on the scene.

Theron said Cronjé had been a well-known and popular doctor in Polokwane, Limpopo, before moving to Pretoria two years ago.

“We have lost a big man. It is very difficult and sad for the family,” said Theron.

Cronjé also leaves his wife Liesl, daughter Elisma, 16, and his parents Willie and Cora Cronjé.

An inquest will be held.

- Beeld

[Story by Christal-Lize Thomas, Beeld appeared on News24.com]

Emergency personnel rushed to Victoria Embankment, to a block of flats that was on fire and with people entrapped inside the building.

When emergency personnel arrived on the scene, they found the building engulfed in flames, with smoke bellowing from the second floor. The members of public had evacuated the building and were standing on the side of the road. The Fire Department were able to control the blaze and eventually the fire was put out. SAPS Search and Rescue along with Firemen searched the building and found two bodies of two children aged between 1 and 3 burnt to death.
The mother was down stairs and was treated by ER24 paramedics once the news was broken to her about her children. She was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for shock and get trauma counselling.

It’s unclear what caused the fire but the necessary authorities will investigate the incident further.

Derrick Banks, ER24

A man believed to be in his late 30′s has been bitten on his hand by a Puff Adder on his farm in the Thornville / Richmond area this afternoon.

ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene and found the man’s hand had already swollen up. Knowing the severity of the incident the paramedics immediately stabilised the hand and gave Advanced Life Support intervention to the patient. He was rushed off to Edendale Hospital in a serious but stable condition for further medical intervention.

It is believer that the man was cleaning his garden when he picked up a tub not knowing the snake was underneath.

Derrick Banks, ER24

A 2 year old girl has sustained some injuries after she was allegedly bitten by a Rottweiler on Clifton main beach this afternoon.

The cause of the incident is unknown, but when ER24 paramedics arrived at the beach they found the child in severe pain. She was being attended to by a doctor who happens to pass by.

The child had sustained puncture wounds to her left calf. Paramedics treated the young girl at the scene before transporting her to Mediclinic Cape Town for further treatment.

It is uncertain at this time of what had happened to the dog and it’s owner.

Andre Visser, ER24

The woman fell 20 metres into the Zambezi River on New Years Eve.

Press reports name the woman as 22-year-old, Erin Laung Worth.

Like other foreign tourists, she had opted for a bungee jump from the historic Victoria Falls Bridge.

But in an incident that shocked many, the chord broke and Laung Worth plummeted 20 metres into the Zambezi River.

She managed to swim to shore and has since been discharged from hospital.

Sheerwaters Adventures which runs the bungee jump says the broken cord will be sent for forensic testing to South Africa.