“Not Clever at All”: SA Reacts to Man Found Trapped in Joburg Stormwater Drain for Two Days

A Johannesburg man was rescued from a stormwater drain in Winchester Hills after spending roughly two days inside it. Fidelity ADT and the Mondeor CPF Sector 2 responded to the incident on Maluti Street on 18 May 2026. The man could not explain why he was in the drain.

A resident and SAPS members helped pull the man to safety. He was handed over to the police for further investigation and a health assessment.

What was he doing down there?

The Mondeor CPF shared a Facebook video detailing the rescue. Officers from Fidelity ADT joined the community police to get him out safely. The operation raised serious questions about security in the area.

What troubled the CPF most was not just the rescue itself. The forum warned that stormwater drains may be used as criminal access routes. They called on residents to stay alert and report anything suspicious near drains, open velds or river areas.

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Social media reactions ranged from concern to dark humour. One local joked he would next pop up through someone’s toilet. Another questioned why the manhole cover was not simply opened sooner.

It is not confirmed who the man is at the time of this report.

The CPF urged the community to remain vigilant about underground infrastructure nearby. Any suspicious activity around drainage systems must be reported to authorities immediately.

Watch the video below:

More incidents involving people being trapped

• Briefly News previously reported that a Massachusetts father of two died after being trapped in an escalator at a busy train station.
• A Stellenbosch University student was rescued after being trapped overnight beside a flooded mountain river in Du Toitskloof following a flash flood.
• Emergency service officials have rescued one person who was trapped under the rubble of a structural collapse in Union Lane in the Durban Central Business District (CBD).

Source: Briefly News