A 9-year-old boy was rescued after he was accidentally locked inside the Central Library in Cape Town’s city centre on Thursday evening.
The child had reportedly fallen asleep inside the library while waiting for his father to finish his shift at a nearby barbershop.
Library staff closed the building at 16:00 and went home without realising the boy was still inside.
According to the Cape Town Central City Improvement District, the boy woke up at around 18:45 to find the library dark and deserted.
Panicked, he began screaming for help and knocked on a window to alert people outside.
CCID Safety and Security head Jurie Bruwer said one of the organisation’s public safety officers, who was on duty near the library, heard the commotion and alerted the CCID’s 24-hour control room.
“One of our public safety officers on duty near the library heard the commotion and notified the CCID’s 24-hour control room,” Bruwer said.
“Night manager Bennie Jacobs went to the library with two other CCID Safety and Security team members. One of them managed to contact a library staff member, who responded and came to open the library.”
The boy was safely removed from the building and reunited with his father.
Bruwer said CCID officers accompanied the child to the closed barbershop, where his father was anxiously waiting.
“We accompanied the boy to the closed barbershop, where the worried father was waiting outside for his son,” Bruwer said.
According to the CCID, it appears the boy’s father had told him not to go to the library after school because it closed at 16:00.
The child was meant to go straight to his father’s workplace and wait there until his shift ended.
However, the library proved too tempting for the young reader.
“But the lure of the library, its plethora of interesting books, and the quiet, secure space was far too enticing,” Bruwer said.
The incident ended safely, thanks to the response of CCID public safety officers and library staff who returned to unlock the building.
“Well done to our officers for making the boy’s day… or was that night?” Bruwer joked.
No injuries were reported.
The incident has since drawn attention online, with many relieved that the boy was found quickly and returned safely to his father.
While the situation could have been frightening for the child, it had a happy ending after public safety officers acted promptly.
The CCID praised its officers for responding quickly and ensuring the boy was reunited with his father.
The incident also highlights the importance of thorough checks before public buildings are locked for the day, especially spaces used by children after school.
For the boy, what began as an after-school visit to the library turned into an unexpected evening rescue.
