I have been sorting through pics and things .. I have decided it was high times I posted this bit of now almost obscure Oranjemund history .. Robert Bruce was actually going to do this as a sort of interview / recall article as he was one of the then young O'mund boys all waiting impatiently outside 55 2nd avenue for the young "misadventurer" to arrive back home from Cape Town after being discharged from hospital... The story would have started off with the impatient wait then seeing the beige mercedes ambulance arrive , their wait only being rewarded by seeing me wrapped in blankets , whisked into the house by my parents ... the speculation about the baboons .. Robert is unfortunately not available as he busy with legal matters for his firm in UK .. It is commonly believed that I may have after my fall in the quarry been sheltered on that cold night by the baboons ,, after all a young one unconscious and in distress is a young one ,, animal empathy takes over ?? theoretically I should have been in a far worse shape spending a cold windy night on the mountain with minimal clothing ... anyhow i survived my jaw was broken( got a nice chunk out of bottom right hand jaw and an xray looks like a jigsaw puzzle ) and my right cheekbone damaged ( not the same shape as left and I had for many years had fine bits of bone exiting through the skin )
My recollection ?? I remember being on the beach with my brothers ,, suddenly blank ,, then I remember talking to people on the road ,, told them I was taking "chickenshit road home " this was the name i gave to the road from our holiday bungalow down to the beach .. it was this very light stony kind of tar and looked liked the floor buildup one would get in a chicken coop as we had in those years ,,, Next I remember battling my way through dense bush ,,, crying but I could not go back only forward .. ( makes me think of the picnic at hanging rock story ) then everthing very hazy ,, the "monkeys" that I mentioned.in hospital ..then waking up in the morning hearing my name being called ,, hearing the ' monkeys" nearby .. the sailors wrapping me in blankets, and taking me down the mountain again .. my Mom and Dad crying with relief holding me .. then the hospital stay .. and yes taling about the "monkeys",, even saying the one man in the hospital reminding me of a "monkey" ...
My Mom told me many times the only way I would get a good recall is to go back there .. I have tried many times , but get into a kind of fear ... the last time I did .. I went to the beach from where I went missing ... found the spot ( hows that for recall remembered the rocks on the beach ) and looked up .. there's the quarry virtually as the crow flies line .. .. yes I must go back ,, still an unresolved life mystery for me ... here are some saved newspaper articles ... I have put them in picture format so that they can at least be scrolled bigger ....
Now Michael and all out there .. any old oranjemunders out there that also have something to add to this story ... ? maybe Tommy Lawrie ..??? theres not many around still ...
Wow! You were lucky.... did you just decide to go on a walkabout then? 4 years old... must have been quite a stressful period for your folks....
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Mike thats a hard question to answer ... I was always that dreamy child with lots of "invisible friends " so what took me on walkabout I still have no answers . but when I saw picnic at hanging rock movie it struck chords and makes me think it was just not an ordinary walkabout .. vis my comment .. afraid crying but could not turn back either .. .. also putting this bit of me on site and yes comitting it to cyberspace has been an almost catharic moment .. Like said are there any old Oranjemunders with recollection of this happening .. Ricky Barron ?? Neil Selby .. they were older .. and also yes Tom Lawrie .. its now there for all to bring up memories ..
Wow Sandy, and that was 49 years ago! I seem to re-call hearing this story when I was in OMD but here we have all the details.
Other old oranjemunders .. Bob Molloy ??
Sad thing to say .. with the limiited activity in the site .. this story will be just a curiosity .. no old timers to add value ,, good thing is at least I have scanned the deteriorating originals and copies ,, now digitally preserved .. my preamble digitally preserved .. I will be doing double preserving ,, disc .. and planning to get a plug in drive as backup .. and thats where it stays ...
Hi Sandy,
I recall this story well. I knew it happened to a member of the Buchanan family but didn't quite connect it to you.
I was in the UK on holiday at the time and only heard about it at third hand. Very pleased to get this very full update.
As for the baboon theory: it stands up well to other reports of small children being cared for by animals, mainly primates but - in at least one case - also wolves.
And what a personal memory to have. Certainly gives you a sense of personal worth.
Regards,
Bob.
Thanx Sandy for that. I remember hearing when we were teenages that you'd gotten lost and were cared for by baboons but I never did believe it.
No old timers yet to add to this ?? Mike contact Tom Lawrie ..
Sandy.
I remember sitting with Susan Scott in Cora's Cafe and you telling us this story!
I remember thinking that you had an incredible imagination.
Sorry for those bad thoughts 35 years ago....lol
No prob Erica .. Gosh we were Teens then .. Where are you now ??
Hi Sandy.
We spent about three years in Oranjemund 68-71 and I never heard of your experience with the baboons or a mention of it by anyone !! you were one lucky boy.
It reminds me of Tarzan the ape man by Edgar Rice Burroughs but that was in 1921 so he never pinched the idea from your experience.
Think it was around 1970 we hired a car from the guy in the abattoirs I think his name was 'Hermann' it was a White Pontiac 1965-8 model.
(have asked about this in other posts)
Drove down to Cape Town and on to George, Mossel Bay, Knysna, while we were in the Cape area we drove down to Kommetjie and then down to the nature reserve at the Cape Of Good Hope.
Remember seeing some baboons in that area we stopped to take some photo's, I was outside the car and my younger sister (who was out visiting us from the UK) shouted!! behind you.
I was faster than Clark Kent changing to Superman, Five male (and you know a male ) baboons were closing in behind me.
Back inside the car!!! the baboons jumped all over, and that model of Pontiac had small side windows that you had to wind to close them, the baboons had their hands inside but we managed to close the window.
Needless to say we had to find the nearest bathroom..........................Frank
Sandy i remember your Mum telling my Mum like it was yesterday,
I remember my mom being so shocked at the story of you getting lost and the baboons looking after you - I am now 60 and I think you are a bit younger because I am the same age as Ian should be. We stay in Piketberg and have done so for nearly 12 years. Funnily enough - my husband Gerry comes from the Eastern Cape but was head hunted by De Beers 35 years ago; we lived in Kimberley for 12 years and then he was promoted to head office in Joburg. We actually enjoyed Joburg for another 12 years then when our youngest Nikki finished matric we had had enough (of break ins, cars stolen etc) so Gerry, myself and son Richard (now 40) moved to Piketberg and start a little cc which has grown and grown so we are splitting it between Richard and Nikki's husband Chris - Gery & I are taking littles steps towards retiring. Tell me about yourself. I must make some healthy soup to warm us in this freezing weather. Gerry & Chris are engineers, richard is very technicall minded and an occupational hygienist, I have financial control, Richard's wife Mariska and our daughter Nikki do the other admin and typing. We have 3 grandchildren. Pat
Not taking anything away from this , but on a lighter note :
Sandy, now we know exactly how and why you still managed to "scramble" up and over the swimmingpool wall as if it was second nature to you...... 202
Ja Ja Dalene .. also how I could scale lamp posts like it was second nature as well ...
Hi Sandy
Sorry I've taken so long to respond, but I have two e-mail addresses, and have not been into this one for a while! I'm sorry, but I only have a very vague recollection of the incident, but will quiz my Mom when I see her next. Stay well, and next time you go wandering, drop bread crumbs along the route!
Regards, Ricky
Thanks Ricky ... yes you still lucky to have a parent alive to do recollection ... I await ...