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Man recounts bizarre sexual attack after blowpipe dart knocks him out cold on KZN beach

Dooagh beach is seen after a storm returned sand to it, 30 years after another storm had stripped all the sand off the beach, on Achill island, County Mayo, Ireland, May 5, 2017. Picture taken May 5, 2017 Sean Molloy/Achill Tourism Via Reuters
Dooagh beach is seen after a storm returned sand to it, 30 years after another storm had stripped all the sand off the beach, on Achill island, County Mayo, Ireland, May 5, 2017. Picture taken May 5, 2017 Sean Molloy/Achill Tourism Via Reuters

A Richards Bay man who survived a bizarre sexual attack after being knocked out by a blowpipe dart has vowed never to walk on the beach again.

The 54-year-old victim told TimesLIVE on Wednesday after being discharged from hospital that although he was feeling weak‚ he had not suffered any permanent damage from his daylight attack about two weeks ago.

“I have just come out of hospital. There was a slight infection but there is no permanent damage. Everything is okay‚” said the victim‚ who can’t be named to protect his identity.

He told the Zululand Observer that he was walking on the beach north of Alkantstrand in Richards Bay when he felt a sharp sting on his buttock and “saw something that I know to be a dart fired from a blowpipe”.

“It must have contained a powerful tranquiliser because before I had walked 50 metres I felt dizzy and collapsed.”

The man‚ who volunteers at a local church said he awoke at about 5pm‚ with the waves breaking around him. He said his pants were around his ankles and he was in “excruciating” pain.

 The man said shells and stones had been pushed into his anus‚ and a stick had even penetrated his bladder.

 His cellphone‚ groceries and cash had been taken and his attackers had left him only with his glasses‚ sunglasses and keys.

The victim‚ who was bleeding profusely from his injuries‚ walked in agony to his home in Meerensee where he collapsed again on arrival at 7pm.

He was rushed to hospital where he was treated for his injuries and given ’morning after’ ARV shots as he feared he may be HIV-positive.

The victim‚ who said he would often walk along the beach to meditate‚ had no idea who could have done this to him.

He said he will undergo another HIV-test in six weeks time to check his HIV status.

 “Otherwise‚ I am feeling a bit weak‚” he said.

The man said he did not open a case with the police “because there were no witnesses and I didn’t see anybody”.

He has vowed never to walk on the beach again and has warned other people never to walk alone as it is too dangerous.

“No‚ I am never gonna go along the beach again. No ways! It’s too dangerous. I would like to warn other people. To shoot somebody with a tranquilliser it means that they don’t want anybody to know who’s done it. And it’s not like a gun that goes off or anything like that. People do these things‚ I don’t know why they are doing it for‚” he said.

“I have told so many people that I’m never gonna walk on the beach again. And I like walking on my own but I have promised many people I’m not going to do it any more. I am very shocked I don’t know why it happened to me because I am not a violent person and I don’t aggravate people. I am horrified.

“I don’t know who would have done this and why. I didn’t see anyone on the beach‚” he said.

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