AN evening angling outing at Naval Island turned into a nightmare for a young Richards Bay couple when they were robbed at knife- and gun-point around 10.30pm on Monday.
Jhovan Mynhardt and Shannen Brandon, both 20, were accosted while fishing off the harbour entrance channel.
‘Two men suddenly jumped out of the bushes and one pushed a gun into my face while the other held a knife to Shannen’s throat,’ said Jhovan.
‘They forced us to lie on the ground and hit and kicked me.
‘They had been trying to steal my bakkie which was parked nearby and in the process, damaged the door lock and the ignition.
‘The one made me get into the bakkie and try to start it with the keys.
‘He held the gun to my head and said he would shoot me. He began counting down…5-4-3-2-1…but it wouldn’t start.
‘Fortunately they did not do anything worse to me or Shannen,’ said Jhovan.
‘They took our shoes and cell phones and called accomplices to come and pick them up, but were told to rather walk to the getaway car as they did not want us to be able to see and identify it.
‘They left the bakkie keys with us and also gave back the SIM cards before leaving.’
Barefooted, the victims walked painfully along the rocks all the way around the island and eventually got help from the Waterfront Village security staff.
Jhovan described the assailants as both being clean-shaven and in their late 20s.
‘Shannen cried throughout the ordeal and is still shaken. I will arrange counselling for her.’
Jhovan believes the attackers were opportunistic and appeared to be amateurs.
‘We later learned the police had patrolled the island just before the incident, but they must have ducked out of their way.’
He is hoping CCTV cameras on the island filmed the pair as
they casually strolled off to get their lift.
