Limpopo Mother and Daughters Airlifted After Three Days Trapped on River "Island"
Limpopo – What began as a routine trip to harvest grasshoppers in a nearby village nearly turned into a fatal ordeal for a Limpopo family, after a mother and her two daughters found themselves stranded on a river "island" for three harrowing days.
Thizwikoni Mahosi, a traditional healer, along with her daughters, 16-year-old Phophi and 18-year-old Murunwa, were trapped by the raging Mutale River last Sunday. The family was eventually airlifted to safety after an extensive rescue operation.
The ordeal began last Saturday when the three travelled to Matatani village to collect grasshoppers for food. "We spent the whole Saturday night catching locusts and we slept in Matatani," explained Mahosi.
Their troubles started on Sunday afternoon as they attempted to return home. They discovered that the Mutale River had flooded, making it impossible to cross back to their village. In an attempt to find an alternative route, they tried to return, but were thwarted by a second overflowing river. This left them trapped on a small patch of land, effectively an island, wedged between the Mutale River and a stream leading to their village.
With no means of communication, as they had left their cellphones at home, the family was forced to spend the night on a small, muddy area not submerged by the floodwaters. Their only provisions were packets of uncooked grasshoppers. Throughout the night, they desperately shouted for help, but their cries went unheard as nearby villagers were also grappling with the widespread flooding.
"On Monday morning, we kept shouting for help and eventually, one person came and went on to call others. But they realised how angry the river was and the floodwater was very powerful. There was nothing they could do to help us," Mahosi recounted to Sowetan.
The concerned villager contacted the police, but even they were unable to provide immediate assistance. "They [police] came and took pictures of us while we were stranded. But nothing happened from there on Monday; we waited in agony with the hope that help was on the way. But the day went into night, and we spent another night trapped there."
Mahosi described the crushing disappointment they felt each time they saw movement in the distance, only to realise that help was not forthcoming.
It wasn't until Tuesday afternoon that rescue workers were able to reach the area. However, the floodwaters remained too treacherous for a direct river crossing. Reflecting on their survival, Mahosi expressed profound gratitude: "I believe that God exists. Because even the clothes we wore felt like blankets. We were feeling warm." She added, "We didn’t even feel hungry. We spent three days without eating anything. I don’t know how we survived. I told myself, I will not question God."
Mahosi confessed to fearing the worst during their ordeal. "I thought maybe that day we were going to be swallowed by the raging river and we wouldn’t make it. I had accepted." She continued, "I was fearing for my life and my children’s lives."
The Mahosi household was among many in the region that suffered damage from the devastating floods. Despite the destruction, Mahosi remained thankful for their survival. "We will try and fix the house, we are just glad that we made it alive out of that river," Mahosi said.
Follow Us on Twitter
