Family held up at gunpoint at Durban nature reserve

A family of four was held up in an armed robbery while walking through the Virginia Bush Nature Reserve on Sunday afternoon, Northglen News reports.

According to Durban North SAPS spokesperson, Capt Raymond Deokaran, an Effingham Heights couple with their young son and daughter were held up at gunpoint at about 2pm in the upper section of the reserve (between Margaret Maytom Avenue and Umhlanga Rocks Drive).

“The suspect approached the family who were on a walk in the reserve and pulled out a firearm. He pointed his weapon at the father and demanded his phone.”

“He handed over his Sony Xperia X2 cellphone and the suspect then fled on foot into the nature reserve. Thankfully no one was injured in the incident, however the CPF’s North Durban Victim Support Unit also arrived on scene to offer trauma counselling to the family,” Deokaran said.

Members of the Home Hawks Neighbourhood Watch as well as Marshall security also arrived on scene to assist the family search for the suspect.

Local trail runner, Buzz Bolton, whose organisation, Riverside Trail, make frequent use of the reserve said he urged those visiting the reserve to remain vigilant.

“We are urging runners, walkers and those using the reserve to be extremely vigilant. It is very sad that this family were traumatised and robbed by the suspect. We did have another incident of an attempted vehicle theft of a runner who parked their vehicle on the lower end of Margaret Maytom Avenue. Thankfully the runner spotted the suspects who were disturbed and they fled in a getaway vehicle,” Bolton said.