One of the survivors of the May 6th building collapse in George in the Western Cape has launched a book about his traumatic experience. Delvin Safers recounts his experience after being pulled out from underneath the 5-story building rubble, 28 hours after the collapse. 34 people died in the tragedy, most of them on site and others in hospital after being rescued.Safer’s story of being rescued from beneath the thousands of tons and steel and concrete is one that gripped the country.
“The book for me is some kind of therapy also because it also helps bring out things inside of me that I can’t really express and talk about. The book is about a lot of different elements. It’s not only about me surviving and me living…it’s also about what it did to my family while I was trapped under the rubble.
Supporting Safers was another survivor who was rescued three hours after the collapse. The two have remained good friends and have bonded together over the tragedy. “Yes, I’m very grateful for him, you see because we all have a story to tell, all of us. I’m just grateful to him for stepping out of his comfort zone and decide to tell his story,” says Eldrin Blaauw.“It was an opportunity that arose although there was a tragedy, and an opportunity arose out of that, and he grabbed that. And for that I’ve got respect and my wish is that he will inspire people and it’s a message of hope and that others can learn from him,” says Mossel Bay Mayor Dirk Kotzé.