A woman walking her dog discovered a newborn baby on the brink of death in a storm drain in South Africa
A newborn baby has been called a "miracle baby" after being found by a dogwalker in a drain.
The little girl, who was naked with her umbilical cord still attached, was discovered in a storm drain in South Africa by dogwalker Charmaine Keevy, 63.
She was out for a stroll with her sausage dog when it suddenly started barking loudly at a drain duct in the gutter, and thought she could hear a cat mewing.
However, she had the shock of her life when she got down on her hands and knees and realised it was actually the sound of a baby crying from inside the drain.
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She was unable to lift the heavy concrete slab on her own, so frantically began waving at the side of the road for help when Cornie Viljoen, 60, stopped to help.
Thankfully, Cornie had a steel bar in the boot of his car and they were both able to move the concrete together so that they could look inside.
Cornie dropped six feet into the drain - and was immediately stung on both legs by a colony of red ants as he tried to reach the baby.
He said that he persevered through the pain to rescue the baby, but didn't know if she was injured so picked her up "very carefully and very slowly," adding that she was "so small."
He told the MailOnline: "I just wanted to hold her for a while but I knew that she needed urgent medical help.
"The baby was lucky the red ants were higher up in the drain and not down at the bottom where she was.
"I just do not know why anyone could do this to a newborn baby but I was just so glad that we were able to help her and save her life."
The Provinical Health Spokeswoman Sizwe Kupelo revealed that the little girl, who has been named Grace April by hospital staff, was suffering from hypothermia and respiratory problems.
Charmaine said: "I honestly believe I was meant to find that baby by God as I usually take a different route on my dog walk but for some reason went another way.
"I cannot help but feel that there is some sort of a plan and a purpose for that little girls' life – it is a miracle without a doubt."
As soon as Cornie had passed the baby to her, Charmaine wrapped her in a jersey and held her close to keep her warm.
But she does not condemn the mother, saying: "We can't just assume the mother didn't want the baby and it must have been hard for her to leave the baby there but I am very happy to have found her and am delighted she is alive and improving.
"There is no way that a mother who had just given birth could have lifted that heavy concrete cover on her own as it took me and a very strong man with a big steel bar to get the lintel off the drain."
Social workers are currently doing everything they can to trace the little girl's mother.
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