Kruger Park News Archive

The station commander of the Levubu Police Station, Nardus Bekker, has died in the doctor's consulting rooms at Skukuza after collapsing during a night drive from the Skukuza rest camp. The incident occurred in the first week of April. According to night drive guide Jimmy Presley, he briefed the guests before the drive and one of the special requests was Bekker asking for a "smoke break" during the drive.

After setting off from Skukuza, Jimmy took the Biyamithi loop and then returned using the Berg en Dal tar road. En route, at about 19h00, Presley stopped the night drive for the requested smoke break and Bekker got out and squatted on his haunches beside the vehicle for a short time.

At this time, he told Presley that he had an asthma problem and was not feeling too well, but thought that he would be "okay". The drive then resumed, but another guest went forward and asked the guide to speed up as Bekker was not looking well.

Presley speeded up, and on a second request to go even faster as Bekker' condition appeared to be deteriorating, called his wife and made arrangements through her to take Bekker straight to the doctor's consulting rooms in Skukuza.

On arrival at the consulting rooms, Bekker did not appear to be breathing, and CPR was administered. He was revived, and came around for about five minutes, but then collapsed again. Resuscitation attempts then continued for an hour before he was pronounced dead. Bekker had been accompanied on the drive by his wife and children.