The 40-year-old man, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, said his planned fishing trip could have been fatal.
The Brakpan resident arrived at the Danie Taljaard Park before noon to fish.
He made his way to the water’s edge and called a fellow fisherman closer, who was fishing from a canoe.
Before long, the man on the canoe warned him of a person standing behind him.
“He screamed to me: ‘watch out’, and fortunately I could turn and fend for myself,” he said, saying the incident did not rattle him.
“He swung the axe at me and chopped me twice – on the hand and arm.
“… I managed to get the axe from him and hit him with his own axe.”
The assailant ran away and the victim is not sure how badly he is injured, saying it happened very fast.
“If that guy (the fisherman on the canoe) did not warm me, he would have axed me from behind.”
He victim said he “looked death in the eye”.
The victim made his way to Snake Road and flagged down No Jack Vehicle Tracking to assist him.
He was later given four stitches in hospital.
The man is yet to open a case with police.
Benoni SAPS acting station commander Col Martin van Nieuwenhuizen is once again warning the public to stay away from the Danie Taljaard Park, which has seen numerous robberies in the last few years.