The story of a 60-year-old man on a trip around Australia being assaulted in a caravan park will surely send a shiver down the spine of all grey nomads.
While Australia is a remarkably safe place to travel by international standards, the incident is another reminder that bad things can still happen.
South Australian police report that the traveller from Queensland was assaulted last week when he interrupted someone trying to steal his e-bike at a van park in the Adelaide suburb of Hackney.
The victim was awoken by noises outside his motorhome and went outside to investigate.
Police say he found an unknown man trying to steal his e-bike, which was secured to the motorhome.
Emergency services attended the caravan park. PIC: SA Police
The victim was struck to the head with the angle grinder, and the suspect fled the scene.
Police arrived and located the e-bike a short distance away. The angle grinder was also left at the scene.
The victim sustained a laceration to his head and was treated by paramedics at the scene.
Patrols searched the area but did not locate the offender who was described as a tall man of Caucasian appearance.
Investigations are continuing.
Clearly, the consequence of being struck on the head with an angle grinder could have been even more significant, and it raises the question of just how people should react when they see or hear a crime being carried out.
Several years ago, two women were attacked at a caravan park in the Kimberley and said an older couple were too scared to help them. West Australian Police said at the time that they asked the public to ‘always consider personal safety above all else’.
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Pepper Spray…have one or two handy whilst travelling!!! Just in case
An portable air/fog horn (available from marine suppliers) is great. No thief wants the entire caravan park awake and grumpy at 2am.
Love it with air/fog horn that would wake every dog up in the camp
Illegal in Australia. But wasp spray is not.
I always have some at home too.
It’s not hard to cook up your own chili brew.
Capsicum spray isn’t illegal in WA, but wasp spray may cause serious permanent injury to humans…it’s NOT a substitute
Go outside armed with a Fire Extinguisher
with pin removed!
This is why we need a 2nd amendment
Absolutely Ron
You are wrong Ron & Pat – if everyone ups the anti with violence it will only get worse. Wasp spray and a decent dog with teeth is a good deterrent. I like to fog horn idea – that’s brilliant.
Get worse? ( mass shootings, machetes, daily targetted shootings, home invasions and aggrevated assault, arson to business premises). People have to have unfettered mandate from the law to repel a threat in one’s own space and property.
Thankfully we are not the U.S.A. Outdoor surface spray is all you need. Not more idiots with guns.
Exactly… Thank you for reason over moronic ideology…
Australia doesn’t have a constitution like the US, a medical charter of rights is all we have and our basic human rights…unless laws have changed recently
Use wasp spray it squirts a good distance.
No Second Amendment…
With a bit of luck he will have left fingerprints, even DNA. If so, they may match prints or DNA already on police records. There is also Smart Water to be sprayed or brushed onto anything that might be stolen. It shows up in UV light, and each can is unique. If it were America,the owner would have had a gun – and the thief probably dead.
Have a water pistol handy with Condies Crystals mixed with water. Helps i.d. the crim later.
If you are camplng out in the bush by yourself, it’s better to be locked in the caravan, otherwise, you don’t know how many are there, and there is no deterrent for them to attack you, and your partner, and ravage through your van.
What if he has a mate somewhere nearby. And if you injure him you could end up in court yourself.
Me, I carry a baseball bat and raced outside when at11:30pm I heard a noise at the front of the caravan where our e bikes were chained. The thief on a scooter was just staring off with one but confronted with an angry naked old man carrying a base ball bat dropped the bike. My children said he is probably still in therapy.
This was the first time I had to use the bat in 50 years of having it beside my bed
We bought a very loud alarm , fortunately 9 1/2 years never had to use it