Within minutes after an accident at a National Rally Championship motorsport event in Bronkhorstspruit, a photographer believed to have been hit bit a rally car, was airlifted to hospital.
Deon van der Merwe, aged 41, from Albertskroon, Randburg, Johannesburg who took out commercial accreditation from the controlling body of motorsport in South Africa (MSA) this week attending his first Rally, allegedly crouched in a mielie field, when a competitor went wide, veered off the route and struck him.
With the availability of advanced technology in the cars, the Rally driver and navigator activated their safe-track system in the car, alerting organisers of a medical emergency and signalling the exact GPS co-ordinates of the accident and also assisted in rendering basic medical assistance. Paramedics were on the scene within minutes. A Netcare Aeromedical helicopter was activated and landed at the scene. The man was intubated and placed on a manual ventilator before he was airlifted to the Pretoria East Hospital. Hospital officials described his condition as critical.
Mr Francois Pretorius, CEO of MSA, expressed his gratitude to the competitors, medical personnel, from MCC (Motorsport Medical Consultants), Rally officials and wished the injured photographer a full recovery.