Jo-el dies after rescue
JO-EL Deborah Gengiah and her family were looking forward to celebrating her 21st birthday next month.
But the Amanzimtoti resident died a day after she and her father were rescued during the floods.
Gengiah, 20, who was born with spina bifida and used a wheelchair, was going to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital last Tuesday morning for dialysis. She and her dad, Vishnu Gengiah, left home at 3.30am.
Vishnu recalled the ordeal: “If we go late, we finish late as dialysis takes about three hours and there are many people waiting for treatment. That morning the roads were calm. But when we passed the Isipingo on-ramp on the N2 highway, we drove into this storm. Within minutes my car switched off and the water began to rise.
“We struggled to breathe as I could not open or smash the window. I got into the back seat and managed to remove the wheel jack from the boot and smash a window in the back seat. The water started filling up in the car." Soon the car moved off the road. “We hit something and landed in a ditch. I then smashed the back glass open. I got myself and Jo-el out. While holding on to her, I found a plank which we sat on.”
They spent almost five hours waiting for help.
“I called some of my friends for help but it was difficult for anyone to come out at the time. It was also still dark and they may not have been able to find us. We prayed to God to give us strength and to be rescued.
“Later that morning, we saw people and I screamed for help. We were rescued by wonderful people and taken to safety by boat.”
After being treated at a local hospital, they returned home.
“However, on Wednesday, Jo-el was not feeling well as she had not had the dialysis. We were unable to go to Albert Luthuli Hospital because the roads were damaged but we managed to get to Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital. It was the closest. Jo-el was struggling to breathe. At the hospital, she was given medication but she died a short while later.”
Vishnu said his daughter loved to dress up, wear make-up and go out with the family.
“She also loved attending youth meetings at church. We were looking forward to celebrating her birthday on May 29, and were in the process of planning her party. It was not just going to be about her turning 21 but a celebration of her life. When she was born, we were told she would live until age 8. She beat that challenge and lived to almost 21.”
He said his daughter was completing her biblical studies at the Durban Christian Centre Bible Institute.
“She wanted to serve the Lord and to make a difference in the lives of others, which she did in many ways. Her youth pastor loved her very much and broke down when he spoke about her and how she meant a lot to him and everyone else. We have all been left heartbroken. If it were not for the floods, she would have been with us today.”
Gengiah’s funeral was held at the Durban Christian Life Centre on Friday.