Durban: A 14-year-old boy survived after allegedly plunging off Karkloof Falls in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on Wednesday.
Mike Meyers, a spokesperson for MobiClaw 911, said their client Michael Sloane's sister reported that she had seen someone go over the Karkloof Falls in Howick.
"The control management contacted his sister to determine the exact nature of the incident. Knowing the severity of the incident management pulled out all the stops to escalate the response with all services. The boy had head injuries. Although in a serious condition he was stabilized on scene and airlifted to Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg," Meyers said.
Shawn Herbst, a spokesperson for Netcare 911, said they responded to the call, after 1 pm, that a teenager had fallen down the Falls seriously injuring himself.
Herbst said the patient was removed from the water by members of the public who had also alerted emergency services. The Pietermaritzburg SAPS Search and Rescue set up a rope rescue system to remove the patient to a place of safety.
"The patient was assessed on scene and required Advanced Life Support intervention. Due to the nature of his injuries, the Netcare 5 specialised helicopter ambulance was called to the scene to airlift the patient to a hospital." Herbst said.
Meyers described the handling of the incident as "absolutely outstanding work by every responder, the genuine heroes of the day. "