Emergency Crews Rescue Newborn Baby Stuck In Storm Drain

Rescue crews in Durban, South Africa, spent nearly four hours trying to get the child out of the drain.
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Rescue workers in Durban, South Africa, rescued a newborn girl who was found in a storm drain.

It is still unknown how the child got in the drain, but her presence was discovered after residents heard crying and alerted emergency services, according to CNN.

Garrith Jamieson, the head of Durban Rescue Care, said a person discovered the baby on Monday by climbing down into the drain.

Rescuing the child required crews to dig up the area around the concrete drain, then break into it with a hammer and chisel, according to the Associated Press.

After nearly four hours, the child was brought to ground level and taken to a local hospital, where she was treated by a team of caregivers, including Dr. Timothy Hardcastle, the chief trauma specialist.

Hardcastle told Times Live that it’s a miracle the child is alive.

“I think any child who survives any amount of hours — and it sounds like it was at least four to five hours — in a stormwater pipe on days two or three after birth is a miracle. It is mercy from above that she is alive,” he said.

Although the little girl had mild hypothermia upon arriving at the hospital, he said, she is now doing well and is in good spirits.

“She has been awake, responsive and crying. ... She is basically stable enough for transfer to one of the base hospitals where they can sort out the social side. But from a medical point of view, things are looking good,” he said.

The child has since been named Sibanisethu (our ray of light) and Gabriella, according to a Facebook post by regional health director Dr. Sibongiseni Dhlomo.

Police are still investigating how the child ended up in the storm drain.

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