Following the recent attacks on cyclists in the vicinity of the Cradle of Humankind, Team officeguru will provide a life-support paramedic station in the area every weekend for the rest of the year.
Most alarming of those attacks was the recent incident where a 50-year-old cyclist was shot twice and robbed of his bicycle on Kromdraai Road.
He survived the ordeal thanks to a passer-by providing him with first-aid, but the safety of cyclists in the area is now being seriously questioned.
Team officeguru will provide a life-support paramedic station in the vicinity of the Cradle of Humankind for the rest of the year. Photo: Supplied
As a result, officegurus have decided to set-up a paramedic and life-support station at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve circle every Saturday and Sunday from 7am till 11am, starting at the beginning of next month.
The team’s mentor and coach, Nic White, said the recent shooting was the last straw and that something needed to be done about the safety of commuters.
“The Cradle is a very popular place for cyclists to ride over weekends,” White told In the Bunch today.
“Therefore it’s definitely worthwhile to have some sort of close support in the area. The idea came about because of the spate of attacks.
“Jamie [Taylor from theofficeguru.co.za] and I figured that there was a gap to make a difference.”
Having started out as a junior team three years ago, officegurus have now evolved into a fully-fledged under-23 team.
The team provided mentorship, training and development while also “getting young riders to just get out there”, White said.
By creating a secure environment, he said they wanted to ensure that the team and potential customers “can just go and ride their bikes”.
“The seriousness of those attacks was alarming and we wouldn’t want that to increase,” he said.
“The sponsors will be covering the costs of having a response paramedic service stationed in the area, which should make a big difference.”
The team would set-up a gazebo with full medical supplies, first-aid equipment and a fully kitted paramedic vehicle, along with a few paramedics on site.
The station would also have a reaction number for anyone who was in danger to call, he said.
“This will enable any person who has issues, whether it be minor crashes, bumps and bruises or something serious, to reach the medics on site,” White said.
He added that they would send the “first-on-the-scene” units to start a life-saving procedure until more support arrived, if needed.
The emergency contact number is 073 835 5333.
