RICHARDS Bay motocross rider Damian Faber narrowly escaped permanent paralysis, following an accident at Sand Tracks off the John Ross Parkway on Mother’s Day.
Faber, who owns a construction company, has been in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Netcare Umhlanga Hospital for almost two weeks and has undergone intensive surgery to save his spine, after shattering his T12 vertebrae and fracturing T11.
Although such injuries are not uncommon for motocross riders, Faber’s accident is a direct result of a dirt landing being removed from one of the jumps.
Speaking from his bed in the ICU unit on Monday, Faber told the Zululand Observer he had decided to go for a ride during load shedding at around 8am.
Faber only realised the landing was no longer in place when he was already airborne.
‘There was no warning,’ he said.
‘No markers or anything put up. I never saw it coming.’
The fall of about 15 metres shattered Faber’s vertebrae.
After calling for help, Faber was transported to Netcare The Bay Hospital and later transferred to Umhlanga Hospital.
The long road of recovery and physical therapy has only just begun for Faber, who is now able to sit up and get into a wheelchair.
The muscle memory in his legs, however, is gone.
Earlier in the day, another rider, Shaidan Holmes, had also fallen into the same hole, escaping serious injury.
Sand thieves
For more than 30 years, Sand Tracks has been known as a training ground and practice track for some of Zululand’s most successful riders.
A verbal agreement between riders and the municipality secured the spot for a track to be built.
Private construction companies and municipal contractors have often taken sand from the area, but warnings or barricades have always been put in place.
This incident marks the first time sand has been taken directly from the track.
Empangeni rider Steven Whittaker says the track has been maintained and built up over the years by generous Zululand companies and interested riders.
‘Many thousands of rands have been spent to keep the track going,’ he said.
‘Bell and Paxman sponsored machines a few times to come and help us build the jumps.’
Truck drivers have reportedly told riders they were working for the City of uMhlathuze.
Sources within the municipality however, said the City no longer held a permit to mine sand from the area and the illegal removal of sand is a massive problem in the area.
A formal response from the City is still forthcoming.
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