Jozi FM radio presenter Penny Ntuli is recovering at home after a terrifying ordeal in the Drakensberg region over the weekend. This resulted in her suffering hypothermia.
Ntuli, known for her strong social media presence, was on her way to Durban from Johannesburg to attend a funeral on Friday when she and Uzalo actor and friend, Buyani Masikane, got stuck on the N3 freeway near Montrose for about 2 days.
The snowstorm that hit the Drakensberg region had covered the busy N3 freeway between Harrismith and Estcourt, making it impossible for vehicles to drive on the roads. Hundreds of motorists were stranded in the middle of the road, including Ntuli and Masikane.
Ntuli documented the struggle and condition motorists and road users faced while stuck on the road from Friday to the late hours of Saturday night.
While on the road, Penny shared live updates with her followers, from opening windows to check on other motorists to leaving their cars to take pictures and video content.
“Drowning in snow. No visibility. Flat tyres. Frozen windows. N3,” she captioned a post.
Masikane took to social media, Facebook, to share that the cold seemed to have gotten to Ntuli and she was not well. In the video, he also took the opportunity to clear rumours and said that though she was unwell, she was still alive.
“In the early hours of the morning (Sunday) when we saw that traffic was starting to flow, she slept in the car and told us that she was feeling cold.
Penny Ntuli's companion, who had been stranded with her in their car on the N3 for two days due to heavy snowfall, has confirmed that Penny is in very poor health.
Penny was en route to KZN to attend a funeral of a relative when the unfortunate incident occurred.#SNOW #N3 pic.twitter.com/e9dCiTQxP1
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) September 22, 2024
“We didn’t pay attention because the heater in the car was on. Upon entering a garage along the way, we found that she was very quiet and cold and that’s when we saw that things were serious and something had to be done,” said Masikane.
He added that they gave Ntuli coffee to help warm her up and they quickly rushed her home to her mother.
“Penny is still alive, it’s just that she caught a cold and is unwell,” said Masikane.
Ntuli's boss, Mpho Mhlongo-Njomane, told ZiMoja that they decided to give Ntuli some time off to recuperate after the incident. He also confirmed that she has been seeing doctors after her ordeal.
"She is at home now relaxing and seeing doctors to make sure that is fully okay," he said. He also added that they don't know how long she will be away from work at the moment.
"We have given her some time to get better and return when she is fit enough. We felt that we shouldn't put her under pressure after a strenuous weekend for her," he added.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Bonga “Dude” Mcube said he was aware of concern for Penny on social media. but said she was getting the help she needed.
“She is not ready to talk because she is not feeling well. She got very cold from the experience. She left the hospital yesterday to go home, but she is back at the hospital today. We can't say when she will be discharged.”
Spokesperson for Midlands EMS Roland Robertson said paramedics found the woman in a critical state of hypothermia upon arrival at the scene. She died en route to the hospital.
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