HE CAN’T get the image out of his mind.
It’s been three months and he still gets flashbacks to that terrible moment when his son lay face down in the water.
At first Reggie Pillay wasn’t that worried. His son, Tylor (17), was a strong swimmer so when Reggie saw a big wave crash over his boy and sweep him off his feet he thought he’d be fine.
But then two more waves rolled in and Tylor vanished underneath the water.
Reggie, watching increasingly anxiously from the beach, was relieved when he saw his son surface – but his relief was short lived when he noticed Tylor didn’t seem to be moving and was floating further out to sea.
He and a bystander raced into the surf to rescue the teen. They took Tylor to the lifeguard station on the beach, but fear started to turn Reggie’s veins to ice.
“He wouldn’t stop screaming because of the pain,” Reggie recalls. “He said, ‘Dad, I can’t move my body, my neck hurts’.”
When paramedics arrived they confirmed his suspicion: in the process of being struck by the waves, Tylor had probably hit the sand and injured his spine.
The drama happened on the beach at Salt Rock on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast and Tylor was rushed to Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital in KwaMashu near Durban.
He had tests and scans done and the news wasn’t good: Tylor’s C6 vertebra was completely shattered which meant he could feel nothing from the chest down.
When he heard those words Reggie felt sick. His son’s life would never be the same again.
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 4 April 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 4 April 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!
Kourtney Kardashian and other celebs are honouring the glory of new moms' postpartum bodies
LEON'S ORDEAL IS NO JOKE
Pain has dominated entertainer Leon Schuster's life after a serious back injury landed him in bed. But despite being depressed he remains hopeful he will recover so he can get back to work
'BREAK THE SILENCE'
That's the message of the Scottish comedian who turned his experience of stalking and sexual abuse into a hit Netflix show
A PLACE OF HOPE AND HEALING
Damaged people and abused dogs find a safe haven and a chance to start again at this farm in the Cape Winelands
FROM SPERM DONOR TO DAD OF 37
Peter Ellenstein's life took an unexpected turn when a message from a daughter he never knew he had led to him meeting dozens of his children and exploring what it means to be a father without ever having raised them
GRATEFUL FOR EVERY BREATH
A double lung transplant has given this chef a second chance at life - and he'll never forget the young man who made it possible
THE GAMES ARE GO!
Preparations are well under way in the City of Lights for the world's greatest sporting spectacle
MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT
We break down what the new rules are and what to expect for the seventh national elections later this month
TOM'S A TOP GIFTER
He's known to go ALL OUT for his movies and stunts, so it's no surprise TOM CRUISE also PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS for his friends when it comes to GIFTS
TAMING THE BEAST
Recognising and managing your anger can make for a happier and healthier you
