A newborn baby has been rescued alive after being dropped 20 feet down a storm drain to die after a three-hour operation by the emergency services.
A resident out for a walk early this morning thought he could hear a cat mewing from beneath a steel drain cover and lifted the lid to look inside.
Lyron Lovdale climbed in when he realised the noise might be a baby crying. He shone a light into the pipe and saw the naked newborn. He raised the alarm and a rescue operation swung into action involving the police, ambulance and fire brigade in Durban.
The team confirmed that a baby girl was stuck and was being washed further down the pipe, and they had to dig a trench alongside it. When they finally got to the baby they broke into the pipe and managed to reach in and grab her.
Three hours after first getting the call a rescuer shouted up that he had the girl and that she was still alive, and she was pulled out to safety.
Medics said she may be suffering from hypothermia but otherwise appeared unhurt. Police were seeking her mother.
