Sleeping firefighter killed by fire truck
2011-03-22 09:55
Kleinmond - A firefighter who was sleeping under a
fire truck while taking a break from fighting fires in the Overstrand area, was killed when the truck was started and drove over him on Sunday night.
The driver is still badly traumatised, said Riaan
Jacobs, fire chief of the Overstrand municipality. He was admitted to the
Hermanus Medi-Clinic on Sunday after making the shocking discovery.
The driver was apparently a cousin of Harold Jacobs,
20, who was sleeping underneath the vehicle.
Working through the night
The firefighters were working through the night to
fight wildfires in the Overstrand area. Jacobs, from Kleinmond, was apparently sleeping
in front of one of the wheels when the truck drove off.
His family is apparently deeply shocked.
Jacobs said the other firefighters who were there when
the incident happened, had all gone back to work. They had received trauma
counselling.
Kleinmond police station commander Captain Jakobus
Marthinus said police were investigating the incident although no charge had
been laid.
No one was arrested and a decision still had to be
taken whether anyone would be prosecuted for negligence.
Fires under control
Meanwhile, the fires in the area are mostly under
control.
"Only CapeNature have their hands full in the top
gorges above Kleinmond's golf course," said the fire chief.
The fire, which started last Wednesday near the
Arabella Sheraton Hotel and was probably caused by arsonists, affected about 12
500 hectares.
The coastal road between Gordon's Bay and Rooiels was
closed to traffic on Friday night after a wall of fire crossed the road in
places.
By Monday the road was as busy as ever, with increased
traffic over the long weekend.
The damaged fynbos, charred stones in the ditches next
to the road, and the smell of smoke in the air were the only reminders of
Friday night's events.
