Johannesburg - An ER24 paramedic was stabbed eight times in an attempted hijacking in Vereeniging on Wednesday afternoon, according to ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak.
Off-duty ER24 paramedic Ryno Strydom, 30, was driving along Mario Milani Road when he noticed a man lying in the middle of the road. He thought the man had been knocked over by a vehicle and stopped to help him.
Strydom said the man then jumped up and two others came running from the side of the road. They pulled him to the side of the road, towards a river, where they stabbed him eight times.
He was stabbed in the throat, chest, back and legs.
“They first searched me and took my wallet, watch and cellphone before they stabbed me,” Strydom said.
A few moments later, the men ran towards the road.
Strydom struggled back on to the road, where he found his car pulled to the side.
“I think they couldn’t get it started due to the immobiliser,” he said.
He then got into his car and drove about 12km to his ER24 base, where he collapsed in front of branch manager Andre Bronkhorst.
“He was bleeding profusely and we immediately applied pressure to his wounds,” said Bronkhorst.
Strydom was stabilised with the help of other ER24 paramedics at the base before he was rushed to MediClinic Emfuleni.
He was said to be in a stable condition.
The incident happened just after midday. It was not known whether a case had been opened.
SAPS spokesman Warrant Officer Happy Nape said that the police had not received any reports about the incident. – Staff Reporter