The toddler that was rescued from an abandoned borehole in Bainsvlei, Bloemfontein, this weekend is in a critical but stable condition, receiving treatment in the Pelonomi Academic Hospital.
A huge rescue operation was conducted on Friday, 13 December, when Mpho Pienaar (3) fell into a borehole on a farm in Bainsvlei.
Mpho went missing at around 13:00 on Friday; the boy’s father realised something was wrong at around 17:00 when he still had not seen his son..
He went looking for Mpho and located him at 19:00, discovering the boy fell into a narrow hole of roughly eight metres deep and could not get out.
The Bainsvlei Residents Forum alerted Search and Rescue Free State (Sarza) and various other emergency services that were deployed to the scene.
First responders including firefighters, paramedics, and the Sarza team assesed the situation and confirmed that the child was responsive and audible. The area surrounding the hole was secured to prevent further accidents and the collapse of soil.
An excavator from Case Bloemfontein, in addition to rope, was brought to the site by farmers and local businesses.
Medical experts used a rope harness to secure Mpho, while rescue workers dug a parallel hole. A trained rescue worker was then lowered into the hole and at around 05:35 on Saturday morning, little Mpho was sucessfully rescued.
Paramadics on-scene evaluated the boy and he was rushed to Pelonomi.
Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson for the Department of Health, said the hole was immediately sealed after the rescue operation to prevent future accidents.
Mvambi said on Tuesday, 17 December, that Mpho sustained head injuries. “He is breathing on his own without aid and is being treated in hospital.”
