“I Just Held On”: Free State Woman Survives 12 Hours in Flooded River After Horrific Taxi Attack

A terrifying Sunday night trip turned into a fight for survival as a passenger was pushed into an overflowing river and lived to tell the story.

South Africans know the fear of travelling alone at night, especially women. But even by our country’s standards, what happened in the Free State this past weekend is the kind of nightmare that makes headlines for all the wrong reasons.

A young woman from Mabolela Village survived more than 12 hours in an overflowing river, clinging to a tree branch through the cold, darkness, and rising water after a taxi driver allegedly robbed her, attempted to rape her, and pushed her into the raging river.

She was rescued only the next morning by police and municipal divers, exhausted, traumatised, but alive.

And the country is shaken.

A Routine Taxi Ride Turns into Terror

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the woman boarded what she believed was a regular taxi to Phuthaditjhaba on Sunday, 23 November 2025, at around 8pm.

Instead of taking the usual route, the driver allegedly veered off toward Mphatlalatsane Village, a detour many residents say is known to be quiet and poorly lit at night.

Inside the taxi, the situation escalated quickly. SAPS says the suspect tried to force himself on the woman. Desperate, she offered him the money she had on her, which he took, hoping he would let her go.

Instead, he allegedly pushed her into a swollen, fast-flowing river.

12 Hours of Fear and Freezing Water

What followed sounds almost unbelievable.

Thrown into an overflowing river at night, in the dark, the woman managed to grasp onto a tree branch. She held onto that branch all night long, through heavy currents, dropping temperatures, and complete isolation.

It’s the kind of survival story that would sound exaggerated if it weren’t coming straight from police reports.

By Monday morning, municipal divers and SAPS rescue teams found her still holding on, exhausted but alive. She was pulled to safety and treated for shock and exposure.

Investigation Underway and the Call for Justice

SAPS has opened cases of:

• Attempted murder

• Attempted rape

• Robbery

The suspect the taxi driver is still at large. Police are urging the public to help track him down.

The Family, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit in Phuthaditjhaba is leading the investigation, and SAPS is asking anyone with information to contact Lt Col Jwalane Rasunyane at 079 890 0383, or Crime Stop at 08600 10111.

A Story That Hits a Nerve Across SA

The incident has already sparked outrage online especially among women who say this is yet another example of how unsafe public transport can be for female passengers.

On social media, many Free State residents pointed out how common it is for taxis to deviate from routes, especially late at night when roads are quieter. Others questioned why more safety checks aren’t in place to protect passengers, especially those travelling alone.

Gender-based violence activists have also weighed in, expressing disbelief that a woman could survive such an ordeal only to have her attacker still roaming free.

A Wider Problem, Not an Isolated Case

While the details are shocking, the pattern feels familiar. South Africa remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman, with transport-related assaults frequently reported.

This case is a chilling reminder that GBV and transport safety remain national emergencies, especially in rural areas where taxi services dominate daily travel and women often have no alternative.

A Miracle of Survival, Now She Needs Justice

What this woman endured is unimaginable: the terror of the attack, the freezing water, the long hours in pitch darkness, the uncertainty of whether anyone would find her.

Her survival is nothing short of miraculous.

But now she and the community, need more than sympathy. They need answers. They need accountability. They need safety.

And above all, they need her attacker caught.

{Source: The Citizen}

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