Mounties EMS

Mounties EMS In Time of Need, Trust This Team, To Take The LEAD!! Best of Zululand - Ambulance Service 2024/2025!!

Private ambulance & emergency service, which is the preferred service provider to ER24 (one of the largest ambulance services in South Africa). We are accredited to service all medical aid schemes, workmen's compensation fund and road accident fund. Our response times are less then 2 minutes from receiving the call. We are working closely with Air Mercy Services with assist us with transporting our patients by air.

๐‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ’ ๐…๐š๐ฌ๐ญ & ๐…๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ: ๐๐ค๐ฐ๐š๐ฅ๐ž๐ง๐ข ๐ƒ๐ซ๐ข๐Ÿ๐ญ ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿš‘You know itโ€™s going to be that kind of shift when the radio doesnโ€™t even let you f...
12/02/2026

๐‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ’ ๐…๐š๐ฌ๐ญ & ๐…๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ: ๐๐ค๐ฐ๐š๐ฅ๐ž๐ง๐ข ๐ƒ๐ซ๐ข๐Ÿ๐ญ ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿš‘

You know itโ€™s going to be that kind of shift when the radio doesnโ€™t even let you finish your first sip of coffee.

Stage 6 vibes from the start. No breaks. No breathing space. Just call after call. The radio chirping like a hadeda that swallowed a referee whistle.

Phone rings.
โ€œVehicle available? Accident on the R34 at the roadworks.โ€

Me, with confidence I absolutely did not have, says, โ€œYes.โ€

Meanwhile all the crews are already out. Yoh. I basically volunteered myself. No backup. Just faith and flashing lights.

Before I even grab my keys, second call comes in.
โ€œWe need more ambulances. My driver was involved. Multiple vehicles.โ€

Now Iโ€™m thinking okay sharp, this is not a bumper bash. This is a full committee meeting on the highway.

Then the group message drops. Confirmed entrapment. Need Fire.

Thatโ€™s when your stomach just quietly says, here we go.

โ€œMounties mobile with ALS.โ€

At Fiveways the robot turns green just as I get there. Iโ€™m telling you, that robot respected me. It saw the lights and said go well my boy.

Breakdown vehicle jumps in behind me. They know the drill. We head toward Nkwaleni and for a moment it feels like Fast and Furious, but sponsored by pothole awareness and budget constraints.

And let me tell you something. The road was smooth. Smooth. No potholes. I didnโ€™t know how to act. I almost swerved out of habit.

We arrive. I park at the back so nobody thinks this is a quick squeeze through situation. Not today, chief.

Walk up to the crushed truck. Patient entrapped. We assist the medic already on scene. We try. But the injuries are too severe. And just like that, the jokes pause.

We shift focus. Other occupants assessed. More services arrive. The scene now looks like an emergency services open day.

I ask the truck driver what happened.

He says, โ€œI was about to get out to relieve myself. Then I heard a bump. Then another one. But the second one was softer.โ€

Then he laughs and says, โ€œI was so shocked, my bladder empty. No need to go anymore.โ€

Sir. That is trauma powered plumbing. Immediate results. No waiting period.

Ambulance leaves with the injured patient. Traffic stopped. Off they go.

Now itโ€™s CSI Mounties time. Drone edition.

Battery gets swapped for a fresh one. Before sending it up again, we move all the other vehicles out of the shot. All the curious uncles with hazard lights on like they are part of the investigation. Gone. Move.

Drone goes up.

And suddenly the photos look calm. Empty. Quiet.

No chaos.
No flashing lights.
No panic.

Just damaged vehicles standing there politely like they didnโ€™t just cause a whole afternoon of drama.

From above it looks peaceful. If you didnโ€™t know better youโ€™d think it was a truck commercial gone wrong.

Now earlier attempt. Yoh.

I reposition slightly.

Next thing.

Crash.
Boom.
Bang.

Down into the trees like it clocked out before I did. Remote screen goes dark. My heart also goes dark.

Obstacle avoidance was off. Why. Listen. I was tired.

I walk toward the tree and bystanders are already trying to grab it like itโ€™s a Black Friday special.

Everyone shouting, โ€œLeave it. Leave it.โ€

Luckily only the propellers were damaged. I pull out spare props like I planned this. Quick change. Back in the air. We are not losing to a tree today.

Hardest part though. Extrication happening while family stands nearby watching. That humbles you quickly. You feel that one properly.

Eventually recovery pauses. The road reopens. Traffic flows again like nothing happened.

And of course, phones up. Full documentary mode. People driving past slowly collecting content for their WhatsApp groups.

Another day in emergency services.

Racing robots.
Fear activated bladder miracles.
Drone versus tree.
Turning chaos into calm aerial photos.

Ambulance life is not for the faint hearted. Sometimes you laugh because the alternative is sitting in silence questioning your life choices.

Drive safe, Mzansi.

Slow down at roadworks.

And please. We are not a roadside reality show.

Now Iโ€™m officially off duty.






07/02/2026

๐Ÿšจ๐Ÿš‘ BEST OF ZULULAND โ€“ LETโ€™S BACK MOUNTIES EMS! ๐Ÿš‘๐Ÿšจ

Day and night. Rain or shine.
When emergencies happen, Mounties EMS answers the call.

Professional. Trusted. Community-driven. ๐Ÿ’ช

โค๏ธ Show your support for the team that saves lives.
๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ Vote daily here:

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผhttps://www.citizen.co.za/zululand-observer/best-of-zululand-2025-2026-nominees-services/

In a time of need, trust this team to take the lead.

This is that moment.The โ€œshow us some loveโ€ moment.Vote for us in Best of Zululand ๐Ÿ†๐Ÿ‘‰ You can vote every single day, so ...
05/02/2026

This is that moment.
The โ€œshow us some loveโ€ moment.

Vote for us in Best of Zululand ๐Ÿ†
๐Ÿ‘‰ You can vote every single day, so make it part of your morning ritual โ€” coffee in one hand, phone in the other, vote before life punches you in the face.

Mounties is officially in a long-term race now.
Not a sprint.
Not a jog.
This is the kind of race where your legs feel like cement, you can barely lift a foot, and the sweatโ€™s running down your back like a broken shower you canโ€™t turn off. ๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿฅต

Do we have the lungs?
Do we have the heart?
Do we have the madness?

Thatโ€™s where you come in.

We need those thumbs up ๐Ÿ‘
Those votes ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ
That backing from our own amazing people who know what weโ€™re about.

Letโ€™s make noise.
Letโ€™s cause problems (the good kind).
Letโ€™s rock this world and start unlocking some surprises like itโ€™s a cheat code. ๐Ÿ”“๐Ÿ”ฅ

Vote daily.
Talk trash to your friends if they forget.
And letโ€™s take this thing to the finish line together.

๐Ÿ‘‰ https://www.citizen.co.za/zululand-observer/best-of-zululand-2025-2026-nominees-services/






๐Ÿšจ Plan C Wasnโ€™t in the Manual ๐Ÿช๐ŸชThe breakdown cable wasnโ€™t even tensioned yet when a bystander called it: โ€˜This is going...
16/01/2026

๐Ÿšจ Plan C Wasnโ€™t in the Manual ๐Ÿช๐Ÿช

The breakdown cable wasnโ€™t even tensioned yet when a bystander called it:
โ€˜This is going to be a Facebook post.โ€™ Confidently!

He wasnโ€™t wrong.

It started quietly.
Paperwork kind of day.

Then 17:00 hit.

WhatsApp didnโ€™t notify โ€” it panicked.

First message:
๐Ÿ‘‰ โ€œAmbo Unavailable.โ€

Seconds later, another emergency group lights up with anxiety.

Control update goes out fast:
๐Ÿ‘‰ โ€œGet the vehicle mobile. Vehicle down an embankment.โ€

Main road. Traffic building.
Everyone keeps rightโ€ฆ theoretically.

Decision made โ€” straight past McDonalds.

At the next intersection a pedestrian steps off the curbโ€ฆ
Sees the flashing lightsโ€ฆ
Instantly reverses all life choices and retreats back to the island.

Good call.

We crest the hill.

Vehicles everywhere.
People everywhere.
Entrance completely blocked.

Everyone looking at us like weโ€™re the inconvenience.

Eventually cars move. I roll forward.

Before I can even open the door, the updates start flying:

๐Ÿ‘‰ โ€œThere are children on this side โ€” not serious!โ€
๐Ÿ‘‰ โ€œThe mother went down the embankment โ€” sheโ€™s still down there!โ€

Right. Adult first.

I step to the edge.

That embankment isnโ€™t steep โ€” itโ€™s hostile.

One slip and I become part of the incident.
Final Destination flashes briefly.

I go down slowly. Carefully.
Somehow still upright. Premonition defeated.

Below me:
Car upside down. On its roof. Wedged between a concrete wall and gravity.
Driver outside. Conscious. Talking. No obvious fractures.

Walking her up the hill is not happening.

Plan A: spinal board carry.
Plan A also shows the ending: someone slips and we all roll.

Cancelled.

Radio check โ€” fire dispatched. Traffic canโ€™t be reached.
Doesnโ€™t matter. Weโ€™re in a corner and SAPS is on scene.

Plan B dies quickly.

Plan C arrives on a flatbed.

๐Ÿ‘‰ โ€œChina, we need a winch.โ€

The breakdown cable comes down the embankment like the final boss entering the level.

Patient secured. Hook on.

They start winching her up โ€” fast.

Iโ€™m holding the board and suddenly Iโ€™m moving uphill whether I planned to or not.
One hand out, stopping the member in front of me from being pulled backward.

Patient loaded. Safe.
Scene finally exhales.
So do we.

Iโ€™m still catching my breath when the bystander laughs again:

๐Ÿ‘‰ โ€œI knew this would be a Facebook post the moment that cable came down.โ€

Fair.

Behind us, the car is rolled back onto its wheels.
Windscreen gone. Panels finished.
Recovery takes longer than the patient.

What caused the accident?

Nobody knows.
The marks donโ€™t make sense.
The driver doesnโ€™t remember.
Physics has declined to comment.
Sometimes scenes donโ€™t give answers โ€” just outcomes.

Kids had minor injuries and went home with dad. That's the part that matters most!
The car took the worst of it.
Everyone did their job โ€” even if Plan C wasnโ€™t in the manual.

And yes โ€” the winch absolutely made the story. ๐Ÿคฃ






Random thoughts.Who wouldโ€™ve thought.I donโ€™t know what I donโ€™t know โ€” and that never really changes.But experience teach...
13/01/2026

Random thoughts.
Who wouldโ€™ve thought.
I donโ€™t know what I donโ€™t know โ€” and that never really changes.
But experience teaches this:
structured thoughts can tell an amazing story.


Some roads donโ€™t change โ€”
you just carry them differently over time.
Same Road, Different Weight is a new song about work, time, and the things we carry quietly.
Out Friday, 22 January (afternoon).

As we close the chapter of 2025 and step into a new chapterโ€”2026โ€”we pause for a moment to reflect.We are grateful for th...
31/12/2025

As we close the chapter of 2025 and step into a new chapterโ€”2026โ€”we pause for a moment to reflect.
We are grateful for the many blessings of the past year. While 2025 brought its share of challenges, those challenges shaped us, strengthened us, and reminded us why we do what we do.
Sadly, this year also meant saying goodbye to family, friends, and loved ones who will not walk into the next chapter with us. They are deeply missed, and their memories will always remain part of our story.
At Mounties, we hold a long-standing tradition of remembering those who have passed on. We also pay our respects to those we fought for and, despite our best efforts, could not save. This remains the hardest part of our calling.
We would like to thank everyone who trusted us with their emergencies and supported us throughout the year. Your trust means more than words can express.
We wish each and every one of you a blessed 2026โ€”filled with health, hope, and good things. And if the road becomes steep, know that we will be there to help wherever we can.
โ€” Mounties






To All FollowersWe wish you a blessed Christmas. Keep SAFE and Healthy!
25/12/2025

To All Followers

We wish you a blessed Christmas.

Keep SAFE and Healthy!



๐Ÿš‘ ๐™๐™๐™„๐˜ฟ๐˜ผ๐™” ๐˜ผ๐™๐™๐™€๐™๐™‰๐™Š๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™‰2: ๐™’๐™ƒ๐™€๐™‰ โ€œ๐™‰๐™Š๐™ ๐™Š๐™๐™ ๐˜พ๐˜ผ๐™‡๐™‡โ€ ๐˜ฝ๐™€๐˜พ๐™Š๐™ˆ๐™€๐™Ž ๐™‘๐™€๐™๐™” ๐™ˆ๐™๐˜พ๐™ƒ ๐™Š๐™๐™ ๐˜พ๐˜ผ๐™‡๐™‡๐Ÿ‘‰ โ€œ๐˜๐˜ต ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ด โ€˜๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญโ€™โ€ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ธ...
20/12/2025

๐Ÿš‘ ๐™๐™๐™„๐˜ฟ๐˜ผ๐™” ๐˜ผ๐™๐™๐™€๐™๐™‰๐™Š๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™Š๐™‰ ๐™๐™ƒ๐™€ ๐™‰2: ๐™’๐™ƒ๐™€๐™‰ โ€œ๐™‰๐™Š๐™ ๐™Š๐™๐™ ๐˜พ๐˜ผ๐™‡๐™‡โ€ ๐˜ฝ๐™€๐˜พ๐™Š๐™ˆ๐™€๐™Ž ๐™‘๐™€๐™๐™” ๐™ˆ๐™๐˜พ๐™ƒ ๐™Š๐™๐™ ๐˜พ๐˜ผ๐™‡๐™‡

๐Ÿ‘‰ โ€œ๐˜๐˜ต ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ด โ€˜๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ญโ€™โ€ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ข ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ต ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ค๐˜ฉ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ.โ€

Friday. Around 13:20. The emergency group lights up for a motorbike and light motor vehicle head-on in Richards Bay. A few seconds later the update comes in
"Ambulance service already on scene"
Lekker. Crisis averted. Feet up.

Just after 14:00 the phone rings again.
โ€œDid you hear about the accident?โ€
Ja, bruโ€ฆ but then comes the upgrade: N2, four vehicles involved.

Eish. Shoes on. Uniform on. This oneโ€™s alive.
Lights on. Sirens singing. We roll. At Fiveways the traffic lights are red for us and suddenly it means โ€œspeed up because the ambulance is in your way - blocking the right of way.โ€
We squeeze through safely, tyres squeal, traction disappears, smoke drifts past the window. Nothing like a little Friday afternoon burnout you didnโ€™t ask for.

At the R34 / N2 intersection, itโ€™s not Friday anymore - itโ€™s Sunday afternoon scenic mode. Sirens wailing, lights flashing, and traffic cruising like theyโ€™re off to buy boerewors. Eventually we break freeโ€ฆ and once we hit the N2, we take off like a Learjet on a runway.

From there itโ€™s weaving through traffic like a rugby match - no time to blink, picking gaps, dodging defenders, heading straight for the goal posts.

Just before reaching the scene, we spot red emergency lights ahead.
Hold on! thatโ€™s not the scene. Let's keep going!
Thatโ€™s emergency vehicles stuck in traffic, sirens on, lights flashingโ€ฆ and still nobody making way. Eish.

Then the road opens and yoh. Not prepared for this one.
Vehicles folded like tin cans. A bakkie crushed. Another wedged. Rescue tools everywhere. Fire, EMS, traffic, SAPS - controlled chaos. Calm professionals doing hard work on a bad day.
______________________________________________________________________
๐–๐‡๐€๐“ ๐‡๐€๐๐๐„๐๐„๐ƒ
Preliminary information indicates that one LDV allegedly overtook another vehicle into oncoming traffic. It collided with an LDV carrying 12 occupants. As control was lost, a third LDV collided head-on with the overtaking vehicle, which was then rear-ended by a fourth LDV.
All of this happened on a straight stretch of road.
_______________________________________________________________________
Patients were spread across the scene. Some already loaded into ambulances.
Others trapped.
Radios buzzing.
Updates flying.
One side of the scene strangely calmโ€ฆ the other heavy. Rescue teams got to work, metal moved, and time stretched.

Hospitals were alerted. Equipment lined up. โ€œNo time to wasteโ€ became the unspoken rule. We moved fast because sometimes fast is the only thing left to give.
Despite best efforts, protocols followed, and teamwork firing on all cylinders, the scene delivered a hard reminder: not every battle is winnable.

Initially, three fatalities were confirmed on scene. As operations continued, the entrapped driver suffered cardiac arrest just before transport. Despite resuscitation efforts, he could not be saved.

Later, the critically injured passenger did not make it to hospital.

Five lives lost. Not numbers. People.

When the last patient was moved, the weight set in. Counting injuries on fingers because your brain is tired.
Eighteenโ€ฆ no,
nineteen. One missing.
Found. Confirmed.
Final tally aligned across services.

Clean-up followed. Oil covered. Vehicles recovered. The road slowly reopened - the traffic backed up from Kwambo to Canefields and beyond. Only in SA can a 30km jam feel personal.

Hours later, we roll back. Quiet. No jokes now. Just that look between crews that says, โ€œWe did everything we could.โ€

To every service on scene โ€” fire, EMS, traffic, SAPS โ€” respect.

๐‘ป๐’ ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’‘๐’–๐’ƒ๐’๐’Š๐’„: ๐’‘๐’๐’†๐’‚๐’”๐’† ๐’“๐’†๐’Ž๐’†๐’Ž๐’ƒ๐’†๐’“, ๐’”๐’„๐’†๐’๐’†๐’” ๐’๐’Š๐’Œ๐’† ๐’•๐’‰๐’Š๐’” ๐’…๐’๐’โ€™๐’• ๐’†๐’๐’… ๐’˜๐’‰๐’†๐’ ๐’š๐’๐’– ๐’…๐’“๐’Š๐’—๐’† ๐’‘๐’‚๐’”๐’• ๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’Ž.

Slow down. Make space.

๐Ÿšจ ๐“”๐“ถ๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ฐ๐“ฎ๐“ท๐“ฌ๐”‚ ๐“ฟ๐“ฎ๐“ฑ๐“ฒ๐“ฌ๐“ต๐“ฎ๐“ผ ๐“ฌ๐“ช๐“ทโ€™๐“ฝ ๐“ผ๐“ช๐“ฟ๐“ฎ ๐“ต๐“ฒ๐“ฟ๐“ฎ๐“ผ ๐“ฒ๐“ฏ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ๐”‚ ๐“ฌ๐“ช๐“ทโ€™๐“ฝ ๐“ฐ๐“ฎ๐“ฝ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ป๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ฐ๐“ฑ.

Stay safe. Stay patient. Look after each other. ๐Ÿš‘๐Ÿ’›

๐Ÿš‘ PUBLIC HOLIDAY: COUNTRY ON CHILLโ€ฆ EMS ON HARD MODEWhile most of Mzansi woke up on 16 December dreaming of braais, beac...
16/12/2025

๐Ÿš‘ PUBLIC HOLIDAY: COUNTRY ON CHILLโ€ฆ EMS ON HARD MODE

While most of Mzansi woke up on 16 December dreaming of braais, beach towels and absolutely no alarms, one phone chose violence.
That phone doesnโ€™t ring to say howzit โ€” it rings to say get up, bru, someoneโ€™s worst day just clocked in.

First call: declaration. Brain still buffering, coffee still a fantasy.
Second call lands before the kettle even thinks about boiling: โ€œBig accident. Multiple vehicles. Possible entrapments.โ€
Public holiday or not โ€” red emergency lights on, and the ambulance goes into low-flying mode. When the N2 is empty, you donโ€™t waste the blessing.

Arriving on scene was one of those moments where your eyes understand before your brain catches up.

Vehicles folded like they lost an argument with physics.
Debris scattered across the road like the car exploded its own spare-parts catalogue.
Down the embankment lay a timber truck on its side, the load pulling the trailer over, a Telkom pole taken out clean โ€” yet the lines still hanging. Stronger than most relationships.

Scene update: two entrapments, multiple injured.
Then comes the moment that makes you pause.

And thenโ€ฆ a camping chair.
At an accident scene.
Not for spectating โ€” nope, it came with its own patient.

She was seated calmly, processing life choices, and when asked how she was feeling, she looked up and asked:
โ€œDo you have a Panado?โ€

We explained that ambulances donโ€™t really carry headache tablets. Without missing a beat, she pointed to her vehicle and said thereโ€™s a container in the door with Panado inside. Cool, calm, collected.

Small detail: her leg was broken again.

Pain scale? Apparently โ€œPanado will sort it.โ€ She thinks.
She was stabilised, given proper analgesia (sorry Panado), and transported โ€” floating high enough to forget both the camping chair and the DIY pharmacy suggestion.

One vehicle had taken a direct hit from reality. The front end was gone โ€” not damaged, gone. A wheel with suspension components lay meters away, having resigned from the vehicle mid-impact. Sadly, the driver sustained fatal injuries during the collision. A hard reminder that sometimes there are no second chances. Respect always.

Another driver was seriously entrapped, metal wrapped tight, access limited. Advanced care on scene, steady hands, calm voices โ€” this is where training steps up and panic gets told to wait outside.

Down the slope, an LDV had considered joining the chaos, then decided halfway through to justโ€ฆ park on the embankment. Driver shaken, but unharmed. Luck is a strange thing.

Despite the destruction, there was an odd calm. Even the rent-a-crowd โ€” those professional bystanders who usually arrive before the ambulances โ€” had clearly taken the public holiday off. No phones in faces, no roadside experts, no extra delays. Just emergency services, tow trucks, and the rare luxury of space to do the job properly.

Then comes the part thatโ€™s not just todayโ€™s problem.
Hospitals now want medical aid status confirmed before accepting patients.
Yes.
On scene.
While patients are injured.
While crews are stabilising, extricating and managing chaos โ€” weโ€™re also expected to negotiate co-payments like itโ€™s a mall kiosk special. And once you arrive? More admin. Because paperwork, apparently, saves lives faster.

So what happened on this Tuesday morning?
One risky overtake.
One moment of โ€œIโ€™ll make it.โ€
And a chain reaction nobody ordered.

Public holiday or not โ€” accidents donโ€™t check calendars.
Drive sharp. Be patient.

๐Ÿš‘ While youโ€™re on chill mode, someone else is always on duty.






๐Ÿš‘ MONDAY: PARAMEDICS NEED TO START THE VEHICLES!! โ˜•๐Ÿ’”The coffee wasnโ€™t even lukewarm before disaster struck.There I wasโ€ฆ ...
08/12/2025

๐Ÿš‘ MONDAY: PARAMEDICS NEED TO START THE VEHICLES!! โ˜•๐Ÿ’”

The coffee wasnโ€™t even lukewarm before disaster struck.

There I wasโ€ฆ arriving at the office, holding fresh warm first cup of Monday coffee โ€” the one that decides whether youโ€™ll be productive or a public hazard.

Then WhatsApp sings its cursed little ringtone.
Voice note plays.
โ€œN2 near Kwamboโ€ฆ serious accidentโ€ฆ urgently need ambulancesโ€ฆ need to help the drivers start the vehiclesโ€ฆโ€
Start the vehicles?
Eish. For a moment, I thought society had decided EMS is also a mobile mechanic service.
Next call: โ€œParamedic, please fix my alternator.โ€

Replay the messageโ€ฆ
Replay againโ€ฆ
Brain loads like Windows XPโ€ฆ Then it hits:
The drivers arenโ€™t trying to START anything โ€” theyโ€™re STUCK.

That was the moment my coffee accepted defeat.

We launch onto the N2 at emotionally-illegal speeds.
The group chat chirps, โ€œAny service mobile?โ€
No time. Weโ€™re already Schumachering, chasing an ambulance that was ahead of usโ€ฆ

Blink once โ€” and it disappears from the rear-view like it entered witness protection.

๐Ÿšง ARRIVING: A SCENE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE PITT

Two bakkies - One head-on.

One bakkie decided to park diagonally across the N2 โ€” as if proudly displaying all its damage like itโ€™s auditioning for a scrapyard calendarโ€ฆ
Meanwhile, the other bakkie clearly thought, โ€˜Yoh, let me keep my distance,โ€™ and came to a confused halt a short way up the road.

Before I get to the patient, a guy rushes up shouting:
โ€œI need gloves!โ€
I ask, โ€œAnd you areโ€ฆ?โ€
โ€œIโ€™m a traffic officer!โ€
Perfect. I hand him traffic cones because cars were squeezing through the wreckage like they were auditioning for Fast & Furious: Kwambo Drift.

Inside the bakkie, our patient is properly trapped.
Dashboard on his legs.
Steering column leaning on him like it fell asleep.
Off-duty nurse jumps in. Fire guys jump in.

๐Ÿงฏ THE EXTRICATION THEME SONG BEGINS
We stabilise what we can in a space so tight I could feel the air judging us.
Another fire rescue engine is summoned for rescue equipment.

Other driver? Also trapped, but less seriously injured.
Second ambulance arrives.
We point them up the road like traffic marshals with purpose.

Road is slippery with oil.
One misstep and any one of us couldโ€™ve become a YouTube clip titled โ€œParamedic vs Gravity.โ€
Closing another lane for safety.

Then rescue begins:
๐Ÿ”ง Cutters scream.
๐Ÿ”ง Jaws pry.
๐Ÿ”ง Ram pushes metal like it owes them money.
The Jaws of Life cried a little.

Dashboard lifts.
Patient breathes easier.
Universe gives us one small victory.
We get him out โ€” another IV up, fractures splinted, wounds dressed โ€” and Iโ€™m sweating like a politician during questioning.

๐Ÿ“ž THE HOSPITAL SCENE: THE FULL โ€œTHE PITTโ€ EXPERIENCE
Call hospital.
Give update in one single breath.
Immediately regret not training as an opera singer.

We load. We go.

Every pothole:
โ€œPlease behaveโ€ฆ not nowโ€ฆ pleaseโ€ฆโ€
(Pothole does not behave.)

Arrive at hospital โ€” and THIS is where it gets TV-level dramatic:
The in-charge doctor is already waiting at the door,
while the rest of the team is lined up in resus like itโ€™s a choreographed scene from The Pitt.
You can practically hear the:
โ€œReadyโ€ฆ 1, 2, 3 โ€” MOVE!โ€
as the patient slides from stretcher to hospital bed with military precision.

My handover is done in four short breaths, sweating like an overworked sprinkler system.

๐Ÿ“ THE PAPERWORK: A TRAGEDY IN SEVERAL ACTS
Letโ€™s just say the list of injuries nearly required a table of contents.

โ“ SO HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
No time to ask any bystanders โ€” we were too busy keeping the patient alive.

But from the wreckage, one thing is clear:
A driver crossed a line that was never meant to be crossed โ€”
and the consequences arrived harder than expected.

Itโ€™s the kind of decision you regret instantlyโ€ฆ
and then wish you could Ctrl+Z in real life.

And noโ€ฆ we still donโ€™t start vehicles. Only hearts and chaos.

๐Ÿš‘ CLOSING THOUGHT
Stay in your lane โ€” literally, figuratively, emotionally.
Slow down at accident scenes โ€” we like our bones unbroken.
And remember:
When Monday steals your coffee, at least dark humour is still free.
Stay safe, stay sharp, stay lekker. ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿš‘๐Ÿ”ฅ






.

๐ŸŒŸ The Girl Who Took the Shortest Flight to Paris ๐ŸŒŸSome mornings are quietโ€ฆ too quiet. Then suddenly:โ€œRED CODE. High scho...
25/11/2025

๐ŸŒŸ The Girl Who Took the Shortest Flight to Paris ๐ŸŒŸ

Some mornings are quietโ€ฆ too quiet. Then suddenly:

โ€œRED CODE. High school. 15-year-old. Fallen. ALS required.โ€

Silence? Gone.
Coffee? Forgotten.
Us? Sprinting like weโ€™re warming up for the Comrades.

We fly past FiveWays, sirens working overtime. Even that one taxi driver โ€” you know the one โ€” actually moved aside. Thatโ€™s when we knew today was blessed. The school guard saw the red lights and opened the gate faster than a kid hiding contraband snacks.

I walk into the clinic expecting tears, panic, dramaโ€ฆ
Nope.
There she is, lying on the bed with a swollen knee and a smile big enough to power Eskom.

So I open with the standard:
โ€œWhy you chasing the boyfriends down the stairs?โ€
She snorts laughing. โ€œI wasnโ€™t chasing ANYONE! I literally just tripped!โ€
Good โ€” conscious, orientated, and funnier than half my family.

Her knee looks like it borrowed a tennis ball, so while I prep the IV, she asks, โ€œIs the drip going to hurt?โ€
โ€œNo,โ€ I say, โ€œmuch less painful than falling down stairs.โ€
She blinks โ€” IV in.
โ€œWaitโ€ฆ that was it?โ€
Professional flex: completed.

Crew arrives. Advanced Paramedic starts the checklist.
Allergies?
One of us adds, โ€œDoctors, hospitals, needlesโ€ฆ stairs.โ€
She bursts out laughing: โ€œDefinitely the stairs!โ€

Then comes the pain score.
โ€œOn a scale of 1 to 10 โ€” whatโ€™s your pain?โ€
She doesnโ€™t even hesitate:
โ€œ9.5.โ€
We all stop.
A point five.
She explains, dead serious, โ€œItโ€™s not 9. Itโ€™s not 10. Itโ€™s 9.5.โ€
I swear I nearly needed oxygen.

Then the Advanced medic explains ketamine โ€” side effects, hallucinations, the whole textbook.
โ€œSome people feel like theyโ€™re travelling. Think of somewhere youโ€™ve been on holiday.โ€
She shrugs, โ€œOnly been to Cape Town.โ€
โ€œThatโ€™s fine, you can go back.โ€
She looks him dead in the eye:
โ€œActuallyโ€ฆ I want to go to PARIS.โ€

Ohhhhkay then. We tell her, โ€œBon voyage โ€” travel safe!โ€

We start the slow push.
She says, โ€œNothingโ€™s happening.โ€
Three seconds later:
โ€œGuysโ€ฆ I thinkโ€ฆ Iโ€™m boarding.โ€

Perfect.
Splinting team: GO.
We remove the temporary support, align the leg, apply proper splints โ€” not a single flinch.
Our girl is too busy taking croissant selfies with the Eiffel Tower.

Then suddenly she snaps back:
โ€œI didnโ€™t reach Parys!โ€
I ask, โ€œShame, was your flight cancelled?โ€
She giggles: โ€œYohโ€ฆ turbulence.โ€

Pain score now: 4.5.
Attitude score: still 10/10.

We load her into the ambulance. As I turn to leave, she grabs my arm gently and says:

โ€œYouโ€™re so funnyโ€ฆ please donโ€™t go.โ€

And honestly?
With a patient like her โ€” brave, chaotic, hilarious โ€” I didnโ€™t want to leave either.

Some calls fix more than injuries.
Some calls fix our day.

21/11/2025

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Empangeni
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