Blind bowls member escapes attempted hijacking in Berea
Cliff Hole and Kathy Laidlaw from the Blind Bowlers Association were travelling home last Sunday when they found themselves trapped in a distressing attempted hijacking situation.
A MEMBER of the Durban Blind Bowlers Association (BBA), Cliff Hole, was recently involved in an attempted hijacking in the Berea area.
The victim recounts the traumatic ordeal, “We bowl on a Sunday, and after bowls, I was being escorted home by Cathy Laidlaw, who is the chief director of the BBA. While waiting at a traffic stop to enter onto the highway when a man forced himself into the car and tried to take the car keys out of the ignition.”
The two were startled by the sudden attack but were able to block the assailant from accessing the keys. The attacker then decided to hone in on a new target, “When he realized that he couldn’t get to the keys he started going for Cathy to rip off her jewellery.” said Cliff.
ALSO READ: Berea SAPS shares safety tips for hostage, hijacking situations
The bowler then sprang into action in a desperate attempt to protect the car’s driver, “I held onto his arms and kept them rigid so that he wasn’t able to continue going for her.” This final effort to get the attacker away from the car proved helpful when the hijacker ripped himself away from Cliff and ran off with one half of Cathy’s jewellery, leaving the other half in Cliff’s hands.
The entire ordeal, according to Cliff, lasted only eight minutes, but it left the driver, Cathy, with bruising and scars on her neck, arms, and hands. “It was a bit traumatic, but I want to inform motorists to be aware, the roads are not as safe you think,” said Cliff.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
