A 22-year-old man from Wonderboom who was reported missing by his parents at the Villieria police station on Monday was found alive in a stormwater drain on Wednesday.

According to JP Botha, founder of the Sinoville Firefighting Association (SBBV), Julian Otto was severely dehydrated and disoriented when rescue workers came upon him at the corner of Broomberry and Goshawk Streets in Montana Park.

He was supposedly trapped there for two nights.

“The young man’s parents were freaking out. He is an epilepsy sufferer and could not take his medication for two days.”

According to Botha, the SBC received the call at about 15:15 on Wednesday.

“A resident of Montana in northern Pretoria was walking his dog when the dog suddenly came to a stop at the stormwater drain and started barking incessantly. The man bent down to see if he could see anything down the drain. That’s when he found Julian trapped in the drain.

The man immediately notified the community policing forum after which the SBC was also called to the scene.

How the young man ended up down the drain is still a big mystery at this stage, Botha says.

“The gaps in the drain were small. Not even our smallest volunteer – a small woman – could fit down the drain. Fortunately, we have sufficient machinery for such rescue efforts and were able to lift the concrete from the drain to get Julian out.”

Botha says there is no way Julian himself was able to climb into the stormwater drain, where he was found, and that he is believed to have ended up down the drain through another entrance.

“We tried to calm him down first and foremost. He was anxious and disoriented. We couldn’t even really talk to him to find out what happened.

“Paramedics stabilised him at the scene before he was taken to the Zuid-Afrikaanse Hospital for treatment.”

According to Estelle, Julian’s mother, her son ordered an uber from Bosloerie Street in East Lynne around 5 p.m. Monday.

The uber was cancelled half an hour later and Julian was without a trace.

According to Botha, Julian’s parents were overjoyed after their son was found safe.

“He was gone for quite a while, and as the hours passed, so did hope. We are really grateful that we were able to save a life,” said Botha.

source:Missing Man Found In Stormwater Drain – People’s Power News (volkskrag.co.za)