DISTRAUGHT!

Dear My Randburg

I’m still in shock and have an overwhelming feeling of deep sadness after what I saw a few days ago.

I stopped off at a service station on the corner of President Fouche Drive and Rabie Street, opposite Randpark High School. I waited in my vehicle while my passengers popped in to buy some items. As I was waiting, from the corner of my eye, I saw a child falling down and hitting his head, just a little way past the entrance of the shop. I then watched him carefully as he walked around and around the shop in a most terrible state of alcoholic confusion. I say a child, as he was about fourteen or fifteen (later discovered he is in Grade 11). I couldn’t do much as I had to drop my passengers off. As I drove off, I saw a bunch of kids with a bucket of water which they were throwing over this boy. The picture of this child remained in my mind and I went back to the service station a little later to see if he was still there.

When I got back, a lady was holding him up as he was unconscious. She asked me to phone an ambulance which I did immediately. This happened at about noon. Needless to say nobody had contacted me by 5:45pm that afternoon. (I gave the ambulance service my number) and I’m not sure whether the ambulance even arrived! I then phoned 082 911 and within minutes, paramedics arrived.

While waiting for the paramedics we tried to get some information as to who he was. He couldn’t speak. His eyes were rolling back and he was vomiting. There was blood on his clothes, coming from his chin, when he fell. He kept vomiting. Many of the children around him were laughing, thinking this was quite a joke! The lady who was holding him, asked the laughing kids to please go away as this was serious! The lady took off his school bag and discovered a large empty bottle of Captain Morgan rum!

The paramedics arrived along with the boy’s dad and he was rushed off to the Wilgeheuwel hospital. I telephoned the hospital around 3pm only to be told that the doctor was still with him.

I’d like to know WHERE he got the bottle of rum from? If it was from a bottle store I’d request the owner of the store to be arrested. I have the bottle with me. If anyone knows the outcome of this very sad incident, please let us know. The child wasn’t alone. There was another boy with him, but this kid was whisked away in a taxi.