Neighbours who rushed to assist a mother who was trapped in a house fire at Hillcrest on Wednesday night are still reeling in the wake of the tragedy.
Little Riley Blignaut who was about three years old died in the blaze in Waterfall.
His mother, Tara - who is six months pregnant - and his older brother, five-year-old Wade, were rescued from the burning home by community members.
Their neighbour, Gaylene Diedericks, sounded the alarm when she heard the woman scream for help.
"They are like two houses down the road from us, the lady was screaming 'help me, help me please! My house is on fire, I'm trapped, I can't breathe'. It was quite terrifying," she said.
Diedericks called her father in law Gabriel Diedricks, a retired firefighter who also lives in the area.
Diedericks says he rushed to the home together with a group of neighbours.
"Friends of mine Charl and Grant from next-door managed to break the gate off and we broke the jungle gym and smashed the windows. We pushed Grant up onto the roof to take some tiles off - to try and get some ventilation into the room. I managed to get into the room and found the woman in the bedroom and passed her out to Charl. We couldn't find the baby - we went in a few times ... about the fourth time I found him, by the cupboard. We took him out, and we started CPR, but it was too late."
Diedericks say the community has been rallying together to offer support to the Blignaut family.
Any donations will be greatly appreciated. Bedding and clothes are needed. Items can be dropped off at 5 Nkutu Road, Hillcrest Methodist Church. Contact Carol McGinn on 083 778 9118.
Riley's school Little Poppets (18 Delamore rd, Hillcrest) can also be used as a drop-off place during week days.
- East Coast Radio
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