Latest news with #Kormorant
The Citizen
24-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Hartbeespoort father rescues daughter as fire guts home, 8 pets perish
The home of Francois le Grange and his daughter, Carla, in Jean Botha Avenue, Meerhof, Hartbeespoort, went up in flames around 03:00 yesterday. 'I woke up to my daughter screaming. She lives on the top floor. When I ran up the steps to the door connecting the two units, I encountered flames. I screamed at her to get out on the balcony and ran around the house,' a traumatised Le Grange told Kormorant. Carla climbed over the balcony and held onto the railing. Le Grange managed to reach her legs and pull her down. 'I ran back to the front door on the top floor to try and get to the three dogs, five cats and the African Grey that were with her. However, I could not get in. Everything was engulfed in flames.' Neighbours rushed to help the family, and Necsa Fire, Hartbeespoort Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and Madibeng Fire were soon on the scene. Despite firefighters' efforts, the top floor of the house was completely destroyed. 'I was looking for the animals this morning. I found the German Shepherd's carcass, but there was nothing left of the two Yorkies and four cats. All that was left in the bird cage was a small heap of ashes.' Two of Le Grange's dogs, which were with him in the ground-floor unit, escaped the fire. 'It seems one of the cats also managed to get out and was seen running around by people on the scene.' The cat has since been found. Le Grange's wife passed away four months ago, and he was living with his daughter in the house. 'We don't know what caused the fire. It started in Carla's unit. I doubt whether it will be possible to save any part of the house. Even the nose of the car in the garage melted from the heat. I am waiting for the assessors. I would like to know how the fire started,' said Le Grange. 'I want to thank everyone who came to our rescue – both neighbours and the firemen who did a wonderful job. My daughter is safe, I am safe, and I am thankful for that.' Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Hartbeespoort athlete wins extreme Red Bull ranch obstacle race in Texas
Hartbeespoort's very own Red Bull Obstacle Course racing athlete, Thomas van Tonder, has been crowned the first-ever Red Bull Rancher Strong Champion after taking on 16 elite male athletes in a high-stakes showdown in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas. The Red Bull website states: 'The seven course obstacles have been designed around actions you would endure on your everyday ranch but with a fitness spin to them.' Kormorant reports that, bringing together the worlds of fitness and agricultural life, Red Bull Rancher Strong features an adrenaline-fuelled course of eight ranch-inspired obstacles – from cattle roping and hay hauling to fence jumping – all designed to push strength, stamina and speed. 'It was not an easy race by any means. It was a super tough event, and with the injury to my arm, it was really tough, but I managed to push through and win. This event exceeded all my expectations. What a vibe!' Van Tonder says. In this first-of-its-kind event, athletes went head-to-head in timed heats on a course as intense as it was unique. They swung from monkey bars, hauled feed sacks, pushed trailers, climbed hay bales, tiptoed over stumps, and dragged a weighted bull sled while riding a stationary horse. The course ended with a final climb back to the barn balcony. Van Tonder told the Red Bull website that he's been doing obstacle races for over 10 years. 'I've been doing it professionally since 2017. So it's almost like I've been training for this for a good decade. I have had my setbacks — I broke my arm in February in a big competition in Dubai, and it was really a struggle from there to rebuild and come back into form. So being able to come here to the heart of Texas and take a win.'
