GEORGE NEWS - Nearly three weeks after his transfer to Groote Schuur Hospital on Monday 26 February, comatose due to severe head injuries, Eben Snoek (34) was transferred back to George Hospital.
Unfortunately there is no real change in his condition and many questions remain unanswered about how he ended in hospital in the first place.
Snoek allegedly hit his head on the pavement after a Conville police officer tackled him to the ground in Koppel Street on Sunday 25 February. Eyewitnesses said he was stopped by the police while walking home.
He allegedly had half a Mandrax tablet in his possession and attempted to throw it away as he was spotted by the police.
"Eben was tackled to the ground and he hit his head on the pavement. Apparently he was unconscious when they loaded him in the van," said his cousin, Dalene Rossouw. "We only found out he was in hospital four days later."
Provincial police spokesperson Lt Col Malcolm Pojie said police officers were busy with crime prevention and combatting operations when they accosted Snoek who had Mandrax in his possession.
He said Snoek allegedly attempted to evade arrest and when the officers reacted in pursuit, one of the members ran into him.
They sensed that he was unstable and insisted that an ambulance and medical personnel be dispatched to provide medical assistance. "The man was then hospitalised. The incident was reported to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid)," Pojie said.
However, in contradiction to Pojie's statement, Ipid spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said that according to the report they received, Snoek was released from police custody on Sunday and was only hospitalised later.
"The report we have is that the person was released from custody of the police and while walking home, he got into a certain car and then family heard days later that the person was admitted at Tygerberg Hospital (sic), Cape Town with injuries. So the matter is outside our mandate. The Provincial Head (Ipid) says they are not investigating this matter," he said.
According to Rossouw however, after searching for her cousin and enquiring about his whereabouts since Tuesday 27 February, Conville police officers told her on Thursday 29 February, four days after his alleged arrest, that they phoned the ambulance to take Snoek to hospital at 16:28 on Sunday afternoon and that he was in the ICU at Groote Schuur.
Eden district health spokesperson Nadia Ferreira confirmed that Snoek was treated at George Hospital's emergency unit on 25 February at around 18:00 and was later transferred to Groote Schuur.
"The patient sustained serious injuries and was admitted. The patient was transferred to Groote Schuur Hospital for further treatment the following day," said Ferreira.
On Monday morning 18 March, Snoek was still in a coma.
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The incident happened in Koppel Street. Image: Google Maps‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
