Actor Erik Holm, best known for his role in the soapie 7de Laan, was still in the intensive-care unit at a Pretoria hospital days after he broke his neck when he dived into a man-made lake in Secunda, News24 reported on Monday.
Holm (25) dived into the murky water at Secunda’s waterfront last Friday to retrieve a ball that he and a group of small children were playing with.
When he didn’t emerge from the water the bystanders initially thought he was joking, said Peter Butler, Holm’s friend and fellow Fiela se Kind cast member.
But when they saw blood in the water, they realised something serious was wrong.
Holm was still in the ICU at MuelMed Medi-Clinic in Pretoria on Sunday night.
In an emergency operation on Saturday, morning the bone fragments of his fifth vertebra were removed and the fourth and sixth vertebrae were successfully fused.
Johann Dednam, hospital spokesperson, said it wasn’t yet clear if Holm would be permanently paralysed.
Butler said after doing a show on Friday morning — Holm played Lucas van Rooyen/Benjamin Komotie — they’d decided to go for lunch at the waterfront.
”I had my video camera with me. When I saw something was wrong I ran to where he was, video camera in hand.
”When Erik saw it, he asked me to record everything. ‘Are you sure?’ I asked him. ‘Yes, I want it for posterity’,” Erik replied.
A nurse who happened to be at the waterfront that day stabilised Holm, and ensured that the vertebrae in his neck didn’t suffer further damage.
”She was the hero of the day. Erik may just owe his life to her,” Butler said. — Sapa