Durban - A man trapped in a sewerage pipe while scavenging for valuables was rescued after 14 hours.
According to a source at the scene, the man and his friend had climbed 9m into the pipes in Newlands West on Saturday.
They entered the sewerage line in Yellowfin Crescent to scavenge for gold and other valuables.
During their search the automatic pump system, which flushes the pipes, started up, said the source.
One of the men managed to climb out through a manhole.
The force of the water pushed the other man deeper into the pipe. The source said he was trapped between two manholes about 146m apart.
His friend managed to alert authorities who arrived at the scene at about 5pm. The SAPS Search and Rescue unit heard the muffled cries of the man.
They sent a team down with breathing apparatus and torches.
He was pulled unharmed to the surface at 2am on Sunday.
The search was delayed because rescuers had to wait for the pipe route to be shut down.
Daily News