Former fire chief Gabriel Diedericks, centre, is flanked by Grant Winchester, left, and Charl Koen. The three men helped rescue a Waterfall family from their burning home. Picture: Gcina Ndwalane.
When Gabriel Diedericks was told a Waterfall family were trapped in their burning home, the veteran fireman and former station commander rushed to the scene to help.
After his daring rescue on Wednesday night, when he risked his life to try to save a pregnant woman and her child, he has been hailed as a hero by the family. But, Diedericks, 49, is upset at not being able to save three-year-old Riley Blignaut.
Images of the child lying unconscious in a foetal position, with his hands over his face, continues to haunt Diedericks, who worked as a fireman for more than 27 years before he resigned earlier this year as station commander of the Gillitts fire station.
Riley died of smoke inhalation, and his mother, Tara, suffered second-degree burns in the fire at their Howick Drive home.
Blignaut, 35, who is six months’ pregnant, and her seven-year-old son, Wade, survived the fire. Wade escaped through the front door to a neighbour’s house.
Her husband, Brian, was abroad on business at the time.
“I thank God that the mom and Wade are safe. But I still cannot shake the image of Riley lying on the bedroom floor,” Diedericks said. “He was in a foetal position and his hands covered his face. It seemed like he was afraid and tried to hide in a corner.”
Diedericks said he had tried for more than 15 minutes to resuscitate the boy. “I thought I felt a pulse at one stage, but we lost him minutes later…”
He said he had been alerted to the fire at about 7pm by his daughter-in-law, Gaylene.
“She lives about two doors away from the family. She could hear a woman screaming. When she went outside she saw the house on fire.
“I live about 5km away and rushed to the scene.”
He said the property was well secured and he had had to jump over a fence to gain access. “A few neighbours had gathered to try and help. One of them managed to derail the security gate and I drove my car in.”
Two of the neighbours, Grant Winchester and Charl Koen, got on to the roof of the house to remove the tiles to release the smoke from the house, Diedericks said.
“I then used a pole from the jungle gym to smash the burglar guard and bedroom window open.
“I found the mother in a semi-conscious state on the bed.” Diedericks said the intense smoke made it almost impossible to see – or breathe.
At this stage Koen and Winchester also went into the house to help Diedericks rescue the family.
“I knew that if I did not brave the smoke and flames, the mother and her child would have burnt to death. There was not a second to waste.”
The fire brigade arrived about 20 minutes later, by which time the lounge, where the fire had started, was gutted.
“The family are extremely grateful that I never gave up my attempt to get them out.
“They have hailed me a hero,” Diedericks said. “But I am sure anyone would have done the same.”
The fire department’s western region division commander, S’bu Dlamini, said Diedericks had played a pivotal role in rescuing the family.
“With smoke inhalation, an adult has less than a minute before they can fall unconscious. With a child, it’s worse,” he said. “Gabriel risked his life to try and save the family.
Dlamini said fire investigators had gone out to the scene on Thursday to try to determine the cause of the fire.
“At this stage, we believe it was an electrical fault. A preliminary report suggests a globe from a lamp shade had popped and sent off sparks, which landed on the couch and curtains, setting it alight.”
He said damage to the house was estimated at more than R500 000.
Attempts to reach the Blignaut family for comment were unsuccessful.
- Daily News/IOL
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