Seal attack victim (21) speaks

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - What started as a day at the beach for a 21-year-old Oudtshoorn man, spending time with his girlfriend and her family, ended with him being rushed to hospital for a rabies vaccination after he was attacked by a seal.

Mathys Pienaar (21) was one of two people attacked while swimming at Santos Beach on Saturday, 5 October. Pienaar says he felt something pulling on his leg in the water.

When he felt the bite, without having a clear vision of the animal in the water, he tried to detach the seal's teeth from his leg by hitting it with his hand and eventually managed to push the seal away.

He suspects this is what gave him scratches on his hand, and four bite marks overall. His girlfriend's father instructed his two daughters and Pienaar to swim and get out of the water as quickly as possible, but Pienaar was in a lot of pain and had to be carried out.

Recounting the experience, Pienaar said: "It was a very unexpected attack and everything happened so fast. I only realised the pain I was in when I was almost on the beach."

Pienaar was scratched on his hands. Photos:
Christelle Colling

Tetanus injection

On the beach, lifeguards were notified and began bandaging Pienaar's wounds. An ambulance was called and it took him to Life Bay View Private Hospital.

He received a tetanus injection and then had to be taken to George Provincial Hospital, where he was given prophylactic rabies treatment, as he said that Life Bay View Private Hospital in Mossel Bay did not have it.

When asked about sending Pienaar to George for rabies treatment, Life Bay View Private Hospital stated that previously, there was no high demand for the treatment of rabies until Mossel Bay's recent incidents of in rabies-infected seals.

Because of this, George's Provincial Hospital has been the only hospital with stock for emergency cases.

Pienaar had bitemarks on his legs.

Five injections

The rabies vaccine is administered as a course of five injections, the first on the day of the incident. The second injection is a human immunoglobulin, produced by the National Blood Institute, using human plasma from a person that has antibodies against the rabies virus, stated Life Bay View Private Hospital.

Therefore, it is a scarce resource and the use thereof is managed by strict guidelines. The hospital stated: "In light of the multiple attacks on Saturday, and with the holiday season ahead, the hospital will now keep a limited stock of both injections in preparation for any future incidents. Other hospitals may also draw stock from Life Bay View Private Hospital, if required."

Pienaar has to go back to the hospital next week to fully complete his treatment.

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