GEORGE NEWS - Amid the fear for approaching fires and chaos of evacuations on Monday, the Strydom family welcomed a new member when baby boy Eli arrived through Caesarian section. The frightening encounter with the fires from up close came only eight months after the Strydoms moved to George from Gauteng.
According to the dad, Carel, he dropped his wife Lizél at Mediclinic George for a scheduled Caesarian. Upon his arrival back home in Andrew Swart Drive, Fernridge, a warning from the Denneoord Neighbourhood Watch to evacuate came through.
"The smoke was unbearable and I feared for my kids of seven and ten years and my in-laws. It was nerve-racking. The flames in the bush were high. You could hear them cracking. You could almost not see through the smoke. I just took clothes for the children, some toiletries and valuables that were close by, like laptops."
They drove to Oubaai where they spent some time in a restaurant before returning home at about six 'o clock and were relieved to find that everything was okay after the wind had changed direction and some rain had fallen.
Little Eli arrived on a day the Strydoms feared their house would burn down, but all is well now and everyone is excited for him to come home. Dad Carel and sisters Carli-Ann and Zelri visit mom Lizél and Eli in the hospital.
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