Six-year-old Tyler Cupido rescued from flooded road in Parkwood

Six-year-old Tyler Cupido came close to drowning after being swept away by floodwaters while walking home from school in Parkwood on Wednesday, June 25.

He was pulled to safety by a quick-thinking neighbourhood watch member, Yaseerah Nelson.

Tyler’s school, Parkwood Primary, sent all the children home due to heavy rains.

Ms Nelson, a member of the Klip Neighbourhood Watch said it was around 11:20am when neighbours saw Tyler in Abdullah Moosa Walk, “who must have taken the narrow pathway that leads to the road."

Ms Nelson said: “Tyler didn’t realise the whole road was flooded. He slipped and fell in the water. The stream was too strong for his tiny body.”

Ms Nelson said, at first, those nearby thought he was playing in the water.

“For a moment, we thought he was swimming. But he couldn’t swim,” she said, adding that the current was too strong.

"His backpack became soaked and heavy, and he was wearing a black plastic bag to try to stay dry. But he panicked - and when you panic, you get tired quickly.”

“You could see he was reaching out to us. When he fell on his back into the water, I realised he wasn’t swimming as he went under the water a few times.”

Ms Nelson said when she got to Tyler, she realised how “he was struggling in the water, but we couldn’t hear him because it looked like he was trying to shout for help. His breathing became heavy, and he was too tired to fight the current.”

Ms Nelson said: “His eyes were wide and still for a moment, and I feared the worst. I broke the black bag that was used as a raincoat from his body and shook him a bit.” 

Thankfully, when she carried him to a neighbour’s house, “He was breathing, I checked his pulse, his eyes and ears. I did what I could. He was weak but alive,” said Ms Nelson.

Frances Fick, Tyler's grandmother, said: “We got up, and my three grandchildren were getting ready for school. All three children attend different schools. Sometimes the rain would stop for a bit, and we were waiting. The eldest went out first. I was brushing the youngest one's hair when Tyler also ran out to school.”

“Wade, my eldest grandson went to the school to fetch Tyler, later that morning and that’s when the teacher said Yaseerah phoned to say they found Tyler in the water. I panicked. However, Yaseerah dropped Tyler safely at the house at about noon," said Ms Fick.

She said she was glad that he had been saved as she didn’t want to lose another family member. Tyler's mother died two years ago from an asthma attack.

"I was thinking of her and maybe she was watching over her son, somehow,” she said.

Ms Fick thanked all the neighbours and the community for all the well wishes and messages, as well as the sponsors who provided food for everyone in the house.

“Some donors will be donating shoes and other items for Tyler as well.”

The community is now calling for urgent action to prevent future incidents. “A lot of people need to learn from this,” said Ms Nelson, adding that as parents, schools, and as a community, "we need to ask: how do we keep our children safe during conditions like this?

“We must stand together as a community,” Ms Nelson said.”

Ward 65 councillor Donovan Nelson said flooding, debris, and illegal dumping were raised following heavy rainfall across the country, with particular focus on stormwater drainage capacity in low-lying areas.

Mr Nelson said yesterday, only two roads were visibly waterlogged. 

“Other surrounding roads had drained effectively, showing that recent cleaning efforts have had some positive impact. A City of Cape Town clean-up was conducted just two weeks ago, which may have contributed to the relatively swift drainage in most areas,” said Mr Nelson.

However, further rain throughout the evening led to more roads becoming flooded, particularly by 4.14am, when residents reported additional blockages in areas such as Abdullah Moosa Walk and Eric Walk. 

Mr Nelson said a request has been submitted for the stormwater department to re-clean and assess the drains, especially in vulnerable zones, which are prone to repeated flooding in winter.

Mr Nelson said: “I will also be speaking to officials who are expected to review current infrastructure capacity and explore the need for additional drainage systems. While the system is generally functioning well, one or two areas continue to experience backflow or delays in drainage.”