On a separate note, as many of you know, after the close of the Botswana hunting season, I was battered about by a wounded buffalo. The incident took place while I was accompanying a friend and client on a buffalo hunt in Tanzania. As in most accidents, things happened extremely fast and the exact sequence of events is blurry. However, the long and the short of the story is that both the PH and I tried to stop the charging beast but he got to us before we could call the game set and matched. In an attempt to get a proper shot at the charging animal, I lost my footing when I stepped into a hole and broke my ankle. By that time, the buffalo favoured me as the target for his rage and the angry animal pick me up and started tossing me up in the air a couple of times. When I landed on the ground, it tried to crush me with his boss. Fortunately, the soil was soft and there were no trees or rocks against which the buffalo could pin me down. Only then could the PH get a proper shot in, ending the fight for the buffalo.
I have only the greatest of praise for the quick and efficient manner in which the members of my group attended to my injuries under very difficult circumstances. The field staff in particular, did a tremendous job in applying pressure bandages to my wounds and stabilizing my fractured ankle. I was taken back to camp and was met halfway by a medical doctor who was part of the bigger group. Under the latter's supervision and care, I was flown, first to Dar Es Salaam and then to Nairobi, where surgeons performed a four and a half hour operation in cleaning up my wounds and fixing my fractured ankle. As with most wounds sustained in the wilderness, the greatest fear was for infection. For this reason, a medical decision was taken to fly me back to South Africa for specialised treatment and observation. After undergoing two further operations, I was discharged from Hospital eleven days after the accident and am currently recuperating at home under my wife's watchful eye.
The extend of my injuries are as follows: Left ankle fracture; fairly deep wounds to my left-hand upper torso, right side of my stomach and upper leg; soft tissue trauma to my right arm (no broken bones) and blood on my lungs, which was caused by the impact and pressure when the buffalo fell on top of me. No vital organs were punctured or damaged. I can move my right arm and fingers and is already moving around, although being it on crutches. Although the wounds, especially my ankle and arm, will take some time to heal, I will sustain no permanent damage or disablement, which will prevent me from doing what I love most: hunting.
I wish to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to my hunting partners, the outfitter and his staff, the doctors and medical staff at the Nairobi and Johannesburg hospitals and in my home town as well as the air charter company who arranged the medical casavac, for the excellent and efficient manner in which they treated and cared for me. Most of all, I wish to thank my booking agents, clients and friends from all over the world, who, since my accident have shown concern, kindness and support in so many ways. My family and I will forever hold dear the love and genuine concern expressed by so many people...
JOHAN CALITZ
MANAGING DIRECTOR
JOHAN CALITZ HUNTING SAFARIS (PTY) LTD
E.MAIL: jachunt@mweb.co.za