Steven Macdonald is Saterdag op Santosstrand, Mosselbaai, deur ‘n rob gebyt wat hom uit die bloute aangeval het. Hy het sy ervaring op sosiale media gedeel.
Macdonald voel hy wil self die storie vertel, voordat dit verdraai word.
Hy het alleen geswem toe die aanval vanuit die niet gebeur het. Na die aanval kon hy daarin slaag om tot by die strand te swem en is met hulp van omstanders op die strand per ambulans na ‘n mediese fasiliteit vervoer.
Met 31 wonde aan sy bene is hy onmiddellik geopereer. Hy is Maandag ontslaan en ontvang nog tot 2 November behandeling en inspuitings vir die voorkoming van hondsdolheid. Die wonde, alhoewel met verbande bedek, is vir vrees van infeksie oop gelaat.
Macdonald gaan van Vrydag af ‘n wondversorgingspesialis begin besoek. Hy is bewus dat ‘n pynlike herstel vir hom wag en sal weer plasings van sy herstel deel.
Lees sy volledige plasing hier onder:
Hi Friends and Family
I wasn’t sure I wanted to post this but there has been overwhelming interest in my story so I’d prefer if you got the facts from me and not a biased twisted version from somewhere else.
Saturday 5 October was a stunning hot day in Mossel Bay with a full beach of visitors and lots of people swimming in the sea.
I was half way through an open water swim at Santos beach. Santos is a magnificent swimming beach here in Mossel Bay.
I (usually) swim alone. Not many others choose to go as deep or as far away as I tend to go.
Having said this I wasn’t in an extreme situation when I was attacked by a large seal.
I was on the buoy line at Santos and had cleared the last buoy at the Western end and was just over where the rocks underwater form the first reef.
I was alone at this point but I’d passed other swimmers heading back the other way a couple of hundred meters back towards the main Santos beach.
Attack came out of nowhere.
My first awareness was of pain and shaking of my right leg.
My immediate thought was that a shark has bitten me.
I then looked down to come face to face with a large seal shaking my leg. Huge mouth and I could see the teeth.
Then after a few seconds it let go and immediately grabbed onto my right foot. I felt it bite down through my foot. At this point I recall being able to kick the seal against its head.
The seal let go and immediately grabbed my left leg across the knee. Then it let go again and bit through my left foot as well.
There are a total of 31 puncture wounds on my legs and feet.
After the attack had stopped my immediate fear was being bitten again so I swam straight towards the shore keeping the rocks below me trying to limit the depth of water between myself and the rocks to prevent the seal from coming up below me.
The beach at this end was very quiet with only two people walking at the end.
I waved and shouted to them to let them know I was in trouble but they did not immediately see me as anything other than a swimmer in the water.
As I got closer to the shore they realized from my shouting that I needed help and once I was pretty much on the beach they helped to pull me out.
Shortly thereafter the beach lifesavers came and started to assist.
The Mossel Bay area and the greater Western Cape has recently seen an increase in seal attacks and more worryingly seals that are found to be carrying rabies. This is a new development in the natural environment and certainly a big concern for all of us.
I was taken by ambulance to a local emergency unit where the on duty doctors quickly determined that I would need surgery and I was taken into theatre quite quickly.
I spent two nights in hospital before being sent home on Monday morning.
Because of the rabies connection I have commenced with a full rabies prevention program of vaccinations which will end on 2 November.
I have bandages covering my legs and feet but again because of the risk of infection none of the wounds have been closed and will be left to heal on their own from the inside out.
I have appointments starting on Friday with a specialist wound care practitioner and this will be the first time I get to see my legs since going into surgery. I am told to expect a long (and sometimes painful) recovery.
I have often seen seals while I swim and up until this incident never felt threatened or worried. I have to assume that possibly due to a rabies infection I was attacked by a creature behaving in an abnormal fashion.
I’d like to thank all who assisted to get me off the beach, the hospital doctors and staff, my lovely wife and for all the messages of support and calls already received.
I will keep you informed if you’re interested in my recovery.
