Video captures dramatic rescue as four pulled from brink of dam
Boat suffered mechanical failure as it drifted towards the edge in dam in Mpumalanga, South Africa
Footage has emerged showing the dramatic moment four men were left clinging to a boat as it sat precariously on top of a 130ft-high dam in South Africa.
The incident happened on Monday at the Grootdraai Dam spillway in Mpumalanga, in dangerous conditions.
Police divers requested urgent assistance after locating a ski-boat pinned at the spillway of the Grootdraai Dam, near Standerton.
The four men were in the water, clinging to the stern of the vessel as heavy flows threatened to drag them over the dam wall and into the Vaal River below, a drop estimated at around 40 metres.
In a statement, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said it activated duty crews, each travelling more than 140 kilometres to reach the scene. Emergency services already present included the South African Police Service, Fire and Rescue, EMS, search-and-rescue units and officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation, but access to the men was not possible due to the strength of the water and the position of the boat.
Preliminary information suggests the ski-boat suffered mechanical failure and drifted toward the spillway.
In a key intervention, a Department of Water and Sanitation official opened three sluice gates, altering the water flow and creating a vacuum beneath the vessel. The manoeuvre prevented the boat from being swept over the edge, though it remained precariously lodged at the spillway.
On arrival, NSRI Witbank launched its rescue craft several kilometres upstream and advanced cautiously toward the dam wall. Station commander Travis Clack said conditions were complicated by strong winds and turbulent water. A bow-first approach was ultimately chosen, with engines kept ready to reverse if necessary.
As the rescue craft reached the men, all of whom were wearing life jackets, the crew deployed a throw line with a rescue buoy. Given the force of the water, the decision was taken to extract all four simultaneously. The men were instructed to secure themselves to the line, after which controlled reverse thrust was used to pull them clear of the spillway.
All four were brought safely ashore and assessed by paramedics. None were injured.