By Vivian Attwood, Buhle Mbonambe and Matthew SavidesKavisha Seevnarain landed in water no deeper than a dog's bowl after being thrown from a bridge over the Mkomazi River by hijackers and falling 60m, the equivalent of a 20-storey building.
"She told us how, on regaining consciousness and in great pain, she hauled herself by her elbows on to the river bank.
"It was raining and pitch dark," said her father, Jeewan Seevnarain, recounting how the 26-year-old honours teaching student survived a hijack and attempted murder on Friday night.
"Kavisha called out for help and, four hours later, a factory worker walking to work across the bridge heard her and phoned the police," he said.
Her brother, Kavesh, a doctor, was at a loss to describe his sister's survival. "It is miraculous. Landing in shallow water and surviving is one thing, but even then she would have drowned if she had lost consciousness. And if the tide had not been out, she would have been swept away."
Described as "exceptionally strong willed and really positive", Kavisha is being treated in a Durban hospital for broken ribs and a shattered pelvis.
According to SAPS spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane, the Edgewood student was on her way from her Pinetown flat to a friend in Shallcross when she stopped at a red robot.
Four men in a car described as either a green Jetta or an Opel Kadett stopped alongside her.
"There were four suspects. Two jumped into her car and drove off. The other two forced her into their car and drove around for a few hours. Eventually they headed towards Umkomaas along the N2. They stopped on the Mkomazi River Bridge and threw her over the side," he said.
The alarm was raised when Seevnarain did not arrive at her friend's home, said her father, Jeewan. "Worried, her friend phoned her at around 10pm and was alarmed at her curt response: 'I'm at my flat and going to bed,' she said. The friend tried again, and got the same reply, but this time heard men's voices in the background.
"She knew Kavisha would not be driving around with strangers, so she called us at our home in Pietermaritzburg."
It was 10.45pm. Jeewan Seevnarain knew there was no time to waste if he hoped to see his daughter alive again. He called the Pinetown police, but was referred to the Chatsworth police, who were already aware that there had been a hijack. "They redoubled their efforts when they realised that Kavisha was the probable hijack victim," said Seevnarain.
"They took our pain and grief personally and went beyond the call of duty to assist us.
"As the hours passed, I felt detached from reality.
"I was tormented by the knowledge that my child was at the mercy of criminals who could do her great harm. I felt utterly powerless."
Seevnarain and his wife Anika's agony was ratcheted up a level when police found Kavisha's abandoned car in Umlazi at 6.30am yesterday.
By the time their daughter was found, an hour later, they were down to the dregs of their emotional resources, said Seevnarain.
"We thank God for the mercy he has shown us by returning our child safely," he said from the intensive care ward at St Augustine's Hospital, where the family had gathered around a heavily sedated Kavisha.
"This country has been overrun by criminals who have a complete disregard for life and the living. Still, I must commend the Chatsworth police for their phenomenal efforts.
"They co-ordinated the search superbly, offered us constant feedback and consoled us when our emotions were running high.
"They went above and beyond the call of duty. Many stayed on long after their shift duty had ended, because they wanted to ensure a successful outcome."
When Kavisha regained consciousness in hospital she described her ordeal to her father.
"She told me that from the time of her abduction, her hijackers drove around to various spots," Seevnarain said.
"On two occasions they stopped to make withdrawals from autotellers using her bank card. At around 2am, they stopped on the Umkomaas Bridge, pulled her out of the car and tossed her over the side."
A Sunday Tribune reporter who went to the spot where she was found said the Mkomazi River there is brown and murky.
If you drop a coin from the 60m-high bridge, it takes four seconds to hit the water.
Netcare 911 spokesman Jeff Wicks said: "In addition to her injuries, Kalisha was suffering hypothermia after her prolonged exposure.
"Fire fighters at the scene pulled her on to an embankment. They stabilised her before a helicopter with an advanced trauma team on board arrived to complete her treatment and take her to hospital."
Kavesh said his sister was "exceptionally strong willed and has a positive outlook on life. She's independent, sociable, gregarious and has many friends".
He added that Kavisha would receive post-trauma counselling when she recovered enough.
Four men were arrested yesterday in connection with the incident and interrogated by members of the Organised Crime Unit.
But Zwane said there did not appear to be enough evidence at this stage to charge them with the hijack.
