A renowned South African sports journalist and senior writer at the Sapa news agency, Larry Lombaard, remained in a critical condition but had been stabilised in a Johannesburg hospital on Friday evening.
On Friday morning a passer-by heading for work found him lying severely injured on a Johannesburg street.
Sapa editor Mark van der Velden said on Friday evening that Lombaard had been returned to the intensive care unit at Linksfield Clinic. He suffered multiple injuries.
”We don’t yet know what happened, whether it was a hit-and-run accident or whether he was attacked. Larry obviously can’t speak at the moment and witnesses have not yet been located,” Van der Velden said.
Police have been called and are investigating.
On behalf also of Lombaard’s family, Van der Velden expressed deep appreciation towards the passer-by who came upon the 52-year-old journalist around 7am on a street in the suburb of Observatory and called for an ambulance.
”It appears Larry was somehow able to tell this Good Samaritan his work number and this man immediately also called Sapa so we were able to respond quickly. We are very grateful to him.”
Concerned sports and other journalists from around the country were calling Sapa on Friday as word of what happened spread.
Van der Velden said Lombaard’s family was obviously in great distress at the moment and had asked through Sapa for privacy. – Sapa