MBOMBELA – A well-known orthotist in the Lowveld died after a freak accident at his home in West Acres on Friday. Mr Pierre du Venage (76) was cutting off a branch from a tree in his backyard when the electric saw he was using made a severe gash on his lower left leg. He presumably died of severe blood loss.
When Lowvelder spoke to the family yesterday. the branch was still lying under the tree, testimony to the tragedy which had transpired.
Du Venage’s wife, Liz, and their daughter, Natasha, went shopping on Friday morning. At about 11:30 the family’s domestic worker came across Pierre where he was lying in the garden, bleeding profusely. Liz would later see the missed calls on her cellphone but did not hear it ring.
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At about 11:45 she and Natasha returned home. As they were approaching the driveway the domestic worker was waiting for them in the street, indicating they should hurry. “Die baas hy’t geval,” she said when they exited the vehicle.
Meanwhile, the gardener had run to the nearby West Acres Animal Hospital and urged the veterinary surgeons to come and assist. “When we got to the back of the yard, I saw my husband lying on the ground with all these people gathered around him. At first I thought he had had a heart attack,” Liz recalled.
“He sustained a very deep laceration on the lower left leg. We don’t know whether he or the saw slipped,” she said.
Liz was very grateful towards Dr Albertus Coetzee, who had by then administered a drip and applied pressure in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
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Paramedics arrived shortly after and Pierre was taken to Mediclinic Nelspruit where he was declared
dead. Liz, who has years of experience as a medical nurse, said she knew that her husband was “gone”.
“He wasn’t breathing and was a terrible colour. He was yellow because he was drained from all the blood and didn’t respond. The vet later told me that he felt a fluttering pulse when treating him in our backyard.”
Pierre established the orthotic workshop at Rob Ferreira Hospital in 1975. He later had a private practice, but returned to the orthotic division of Rob Ferreira. He worked there until his retirement in September last year.
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Mr Neil Taljaard, who worked with Pierre at Rob Ferreira, spoke very fondly of him, saying he was like a dad to him.
“My father was very active and didn’t like sitting around. He loved the outdoors and Kruger National Park and he loved to fix things, which is why he died the way he did,” Natasha said.
“I’m just glad he died while being busy.” Liz added that he had also done deep sea and scuba diving for several years. “He was loved by more people than we thought.”
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Pierre also leaves behind two sons, Shaun and Gavin, as well as three grandchildren. At the time of going to press, memorial details had not been finalised. Enquiries: Natasha on 082-480-7816.
