‘Mafavuke’: The one that dies and lives again

Eric Mckechnie (56), survived after being struck by lighting.

March 24, 2016

Elzaan Pienaar 3 minutes read

READY TO TAKE THAT PHOTOGRAPH: Eric Mckechnie poses in the exact same position he was in before he was hit by lightning.

“I FELT no pain,” were the words of Eric Mckechnie (56) while telling his story at the Alberton Methodist Church on Sunday, March 20, after he survived being struck by lightning.

He went back to work on Wednesday, March 16, and a colleague greeted him with the word ‘Mafavuke’ which means ‘the one that dies and lives again’.

The RECORD reported about the Mckechnie’s ordeal twice after the incident, which occurred when Eric and his wife, Gwen, went to the Drakensberg for their 24th wedding anniversary. They went for a drive on Sunday, February 28, at about 16:30. While driving back, they noticed an amazing cloud with rays of sun burning through it and stopped to take photos.

In an emotional half hour, Eric and Gwen shared their experience and the miracle of his survival with the congregation.

“I can take you to the exact place where we stopped and, for some odd reason, I took off my watch, which, by the way, I never take off,” he said.

He also said that at that stage there was no lightning and no rain.

Eric was standing on the driver’s side of the car, with the door open. The last thing he remembers was that he was about to take a photo.

According to Gwen, she was busy on her cellphone when she heard an overpowering bang. When she looked up, she could not see her husband.

Gwen said she immediately got out of the vehicle to search for her husband and found him lying next to the vehicle, showing no signs of life. “I immediately made phone calls to family members, telling them that I need them and that Eric is dead. After a while I thought that no one knows where we were so I got on my knees in front of Eric’s body and asked God for help,” an emotional Gwen said.

She prayed and said: “I have a disabled daughter and God, I cannot raise her by myself. I need Eric by my side.”

Eric had an extensive burn wound to his left shoulder and around his neck where his gold chain hung. The top part of his shirt was completely shredded and scattered around him. Eric had burns in his arm pit and also a hole the size of his thumb, about 10cm from the arm pit, where the lightning exited.

He also had a black ring burnt on his head. She added that her husband was not breathing and she could not find a pulse. Gwen immediately started CPR on him while waiting for an ambulance. While she was administering CPR, a taxi drove past and pulled over.

“These were our angels,” Gwen added. A woman got out of the taxi and explained that she was a nurse and offered to help. They then performed CPR together. Gwen said that while they were performing CPR, more and more people from the taxi started to gather around them and began to sing and pray.

Gwen and the nurse resuscitated the Eric. “We could see the life coming back after three or four CPR pushes and it was only by the grace of God that he survived.” When Eric came to his full senses he did not know what happened.

Shortly before paramedics from ER24 arrived on the scene, Eric regained a pulse and spontaneous breathing. His heart track was normal and he just said that he was nauseous.

ER24 paramedics treated Eric for his burn wounds and rushed him off to a hospital in Ladysmith for further care.

All the electric systems in the car, a Mitsubishi Outlander, had shorted and the roof was dented.

“Through this tough time I felt so uplifted and cared for and was so grateful,” said Gwen.

Eric ended with: “Nowhere down the line did I see Jesus or his angels, but I saw his earthly angels working on a daily basis. And for those who wanted to know, I did not take the photo.”