The accident happened when one of the reserve’s tour vehicles bumped into the rear of another.
The volunteers moved both the guest, a German national, and the driver of the vehicle to the casualty room of Life Knysna Private Hospital, where the guest received eight stitches to his hand. The driver was examined and found to be unhurt.
Ronnie Webster, CEO of the Featherbed Company, said that his staff followed the company’s standard operating procedures, which included reporting the incident to the company’s insurers, SATIB, who immediately requested the help of the NSRI.
“The guest was discharged from casualty after treatment as an out-patient and was then taken to a pharmacy where his prescription was filled before he rejoined his group,” said Webster.
He noted that the Featherbed Company follows a standard programme of safety checks on all its equipment, and that it keeps written records of items such as daily safety checks on its vehicles.
“In addition, our guides are required to hold current first aid certificates, and our drivers must have clean, valid driver’s licenses and PDPs (public driving permits),” he said.
He emphasised that the incident on Monday was an isolated one.
“Featherbed is one of the largest commercial attractions on the Garden Route, and hosts tens of thousands of guests every year, but we’ve experienced only a small handful of accidents in the 35 years of our existence.
“We are currently investigating how it happened, and will take steps to ensure that nothing like it happens again.
“All of us at Featherbed are very grateful to both the NSRI and its volunteers and the staff of the Life Knysna Private Hospital for the speed and care with which they helped our guest and driver,” he said.
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