KNYSNA: Remembering the 2017 fires - Lorna Watt, now living in Heuwelkruin with a friend, talks about the fires – from total devastation of her Lake Brenton home to finding a treasure in the ruins of her life.
"After breakfast on Saturday 10 June with Den and Dor Keown (my sister-in-law and brother), we left to look at what was left of my Lake Brenton house. Burnt flat! Nothing but ash and some metal bits," explains Watt.
Nevertheless, Watt was determined to look for one special lifelong memory.
"So my daughter Debbie Arnold with her husband Steve and I started scratching in the still warm ash and rubble where my bedroom stuff would have fallen to the bottom on the foundations.
Little hope
"I had said that one thing that wouldn’t burn would be my diamond from my engagement ring, but I still didn't have high hopes of finding it! We found some burnt objects, mostly broken pottery, burnt jewellery bits and melted things, but nothing worth saving," says Watt.
But Debs her daughter persevered, with Steve backing her up in the search.
"Lo and behold, after I gave up looking, Debs found the ring – black, but in one piece! Risen from the ashes!"
Watt says the ring was given to her by her late husband, back in 1967.
Lorna Watt found her 1967 engagement ring in the ashes of what was left of her home after the fires last year. Photos: Yaseen Gaffar
Intact treasure
“It was 51 years ago that I got engaged. I was an air hostess for SAA and my husband was a flight engineer. We travelled a lot together to the same destinations. When we got engaged, he gave me that ring. We were made for each other. The ring means everything to me,” she says.
Watt then took it to Dazzling Jewellers who cleaned it up and checked it out.
"It was fine, no damage. Amazing! The gold was 18 carat. Apparently, if it had been 9 carat it would have melted," says a grateful Watt.
Even more special was that "they didn’t even charge me for the cleaning of Debbie’s inheritance", says Watt, who adds, "So now I wear the precious ring and hope it stays safe till I eventually hand it over to Debbie."
Watt is originally from Knysna, and has been living here for almost 40 years.
“I lost everything, but I was also fortunate enough to find a fully furnished flat, where I am staying at the moment.”
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