The bodies of a woman and two men have been recovered following a large-scale rescue operation on a farm in Rawsonville, where severe flooding continues to batter parts of the province.
At the same time, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) confirmed that 23 farm workers and their family members were rescued after being trapped on rooftops between Worcester and Rawsonville along the old N1 route.
Heavy rainfall has persisted across the Western Cape, with some areas still under an Orange Level 6 weather warning due to ongoing flooding risks.
NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon said the group, which included children, elderly people and persons with disabilities, spent the night stranded before being evacuated on Wednesday in a coordinated relay operation.
“Using ladders, the casualties including toddlers, children, adults, the elderly, as well as one blind man and one paraplegic man, and domestic animals were evacuated to safety in relays using flotation from the NSRI rescue craft,” Lambinon said.
He added that rescue teams, including Provincial Traffic Services and EMS Metro Rescue personnel, worked under extremely difficult conditions, often wading and swimming through flooded and inaccessible terrain.
Once brought to safety, the rescued individuals were handed over to the care of the farm owner.
During the same operation, rescuers recovered the bodies of two men and a woman from flooded structures on the property. The remains have been handed over to police for further investigation.
Lambinon also confirmed that several animals, including livestock, pets and wildlife, could not be rescued due to the severity of the flooding.
Authorities say at least six people have now died in flooding-related incidents across the Western Cape as emergency operations continue.