In a harrowing tale of survival amidst tragedy, 29-year-old electrician Delvin Saers from Mossel Bay Town in South Africa was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building in George after enduring over 24 hours trapped beneath the debris. Saers’ rescue, facilitated by desperate voice notes he sent to his family, showcases the power of human resilience and technological resourcefulness in the face of disaster.
Saers was working on the third floor of the five-story building when it tragically collapsed on Monday, May 6th. Despite limited mobility and dwindling hope, Saers managed to answer a phone call from his mother, who had urgently traveled to George after receiving news of the collapse.
“We phoned him… and he told my wife on the phone he’s also trapped there inside… and he says he’s in pain and there’s debris all over around him on his legs. He can’t use his legs and he can’t use the one arm,” Saers’ father recounted in an interview.
In an effort to bolster her son’s spirits, Saers’ mother sent him a photograph of his infant son. This simple act of love galvanized Saers’ determination to survive. Meanwhile, emergency rescue workers, alerted by Saers’ phone call, initiated their search and rescue operation.
Leveraging the voice note feature on his phone, Saers provided critical information to the rescue team, guiding them towards his location within the debris. “They told me about making sounds. I’m banging against some metal, but my arms are sore. It’s difficult to hit with my sore arms, but I’ll continue,” Saers communicated in a voice note.
After a tense and exhaustive effort, Saers was finally extricated from the wreckage late Tuesday afternoon. His father, who had been anxiously awaiting updates, described the emotional reunion as a miracle.
Saers’ rescue has garnered widespread attention and support, with many online expressing their gratitude for his survival and commending the rescue team’s unwavering dedication. “May The Lord grant them breakthrough in searching more souls,” one viewer remarked on a YouTube video documenting the rescue.
The George Municipality reports that 62 individuals have been rescued from the rubble, with 12 currently hospitalized. Tragically, the death toll has risen to 33, with 19 individuals still unaccounted for.
The cause of the building collapse remains under investigation by Western Cape authorities. However, the primary focus now lies on the ongoing rescue efforts and the hope for more stories of survival amidst this devastating incident.
