Tanya Grobler, a paramedic from Netcare 911 in Margate, played an integral role in helping save the lives of two women mauled by wild animals in two separate incidents in Northern KwaZulu-Natal yesterday.

Grobler joined the Netcare 911 team, which flew to assist in the incidents – the first involved a giraffe in Hluhluwe and a second a hippo in St Lucia.

Spokesman Shawn Herbst said Netcare 911 received a report that a woman (25) and her daughter (16 months), who live in the area, had been attacked by an adult giraffe at a private game lodge yesterday afternoon, at around 15:30. He said the girl was rushed to a local doctor’s office, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Herbst said that when the team of operational paramedics arrived on the scene they found the mother in critical condition. He added that she was treated on scene, but due to the nature of her injuries and the distance to an appropriate hospital, was flown in the Netcare 911 Helicopter Air Ambulance, on which Grobler was aboard, and taken to a specialist facility.

Circumstances leading up to the incident will be investigated by the relevant Saps who attended the scene.

Three hours later and some 80km away, Netcare 911 responded to the incident involving the hippo at St Lucia. A woman, her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend had been swimming in the pool at a resort – in the late evening – when loadhsedding kicked in.

Herbst explained that the three decided to exit the pool, in complete darkness and head back to their accommodation. “While walking back they were confronted by an adult hippo and her calf,” he said. Herbst said the trio ran to escape the charging animal, but the mother (50) was tramped and bitten. Her daughter and her boyfriend managed to escape.

The woman, whose condition was rapidly deteriorating, was treated on scene by an emergency care practitioner,” said Herbst.

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