SECUNDA – The acid burned Mr Hendrik Nienaber’s scalp through to the bone of his skull.
It even melted the material of his jogging clothes into the flesh on his chest and right leg.
Mr Nienaber (33) also sustained deep burn wounds to his face and on his left hand.
A balaclava-clad cyclist attacked Mr Nienaber in Voortrekker Street near the Pongola Street turn-off early on Wednesday, 23 January.
Mr Nienaber was out for a jog that morning before 5am. He was still recovering from a car accident he had been in a week prior to the acid attack.
“I saw the man approaching on a mountain bike and I even greeted him in passing.
“He suddenly tossed something at me and then I just felt an excruciating burning,” Mr Nienamber told Ridge Times.
As he was tumbling over, the attacker snatched off Mr Nienaber’s wrist watch and sped off on the bicycle.
Mr Nienaber tried to wash off the acid with water from his water bottle.
He was in severe pain, but managed to make his way back to his home.
His landlord rushed him to Evander Hospital’s casualty ward.
Mr Nienaber’s wounds were dressed and he was given pain medication and then moved into the corridor as there were no beds available.
The doctor was also expected only the following day.
He decided to sign himself out and sought private medical help the next day as the wounds seemed to have become infected.
Mr Nienaber told the newspaper on Friday night that a medical professional told him the skin on his scalp was burned through to the bone.
“This is the worst pain I have ever felt,” he said.
He was feeling better by Sunday night after receiving medical attention.
The Secunda Police is investigating the assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
There are no leads at the moment to the identity of the acid attacker and the only motive at this stage is one of theft.
Also read:
https://www.citizen.co.za/ridge-times/131155/masked-man-attacks-secunda-runner-acid-snatches-wristwatch/
