Seatbelts Save Lives

**NOTE: I don't want anyone to worry as they read, so I'm playing
spoiler. Everyone walked away from this accident. I'm still
amazed.**

I'm also sorry this has taken so long to post. Last week was very
busy, followed by a weekend in Swakopmund (the beach), and this week
we reintroduced some rhinos. One broke through several fences and I've
been out tracking him through the bush for a couple of days.
Anyway...

This past weekend (July 8-19) was our annual Gala fundraiser in
Windhoek, so yours truly and most of the CCF staff had been there to
mingle/work on raising money. We returned on Sunday afternoon. I had
ridden down in our Quantum (a minivan), but on the return trip I
hopped in one of our bakkies (a truck) to come back early. More
specifically, I was riding in a 2007 Toyota Hilux crew cab, which
looks like a Tundra. Our cheetah keepers, Matt and Kate, were up
front and Rob (our IT guy) and Leigh (Laurie Marker's assistant, among
other things) were in back with me.

About a half hour north of Windhoek we had finally gotten away from
most development and were driving the speed limit - 120km/h (~75 mph).
Leigh and I had drifted off so I didn't see much of what happened.
Suddenly Matt is yelling "Oh, SHIT!" and we're swerving right into the
opposite lane. We drive on the left side of the road here.

Apparently someone in a small truck had decided to pull off the
shoulder and into our lane about 50m ahead. I seriously doubt they
checked their mirrors. Kate swerved to avoid him, and honestly saved
our lives. We would have caught the truck broadside, and at the very
least Matt, Kate and Leigh (who was in the back but only had a lap
belt) would have been in serious trouble. The other driver would have
been killed on the spot.

As we started the swerve I glanced out the windshield and saw a ravine
and an 8 foot game fence straight ahead. Fortunately Kate turned us
back to the left. It was an overcorrection, but there was no way we
could have stayed on the road at this point. I'm glad we missed that
fence and ravine.

I doubt we slowed much when we dropped off the shoulder. I remember
the truck had spun almost 180 degrees by the time we did, and I was
staring out the windshield watching us tip. I don't remember any
noise until we landed on our side, then there was hammering all around
us. The change in kinetic energy (or at least my perception of it)
was the craziest thing. One second all I felt was sliding, then we
were spinning like mad. Dust was all over. I could see the daylight
out the windows spin around the truck three times before we stopped,
upside down.

A cattle fence had stopped us. We didn't know this at the time, but
about two and a quarter rolls in the roof of the truck hit a wire
fence. The tension of the wires acted a bit like a net. The best
analogy I've been able to come up with is the scene from 'Dumbo' where
the little elephant lands on the telephone wires and bends them almost
to the ground. Imagine that, only horizontal. We bent the metal
poles supporting the fence, but missed them both (luck?). The wires
actually bent the frame along the windshield down to the steering
wheel.

So there we were, inverted in a rolled truck. We checked we each
other...somehow all of us were OK. I wanted out to assess the
situation and had the absolutely brilliant idea of using both hands to
undo my belt. I dropped straight off the seat and landed on my head,
sustaining a bump/cut that was probably my worst injury of the
accident. I crawled out the window and helped get Leigh out. Rob and
Matt made it out on their own. Kate was shaken up but we got her out
as well.

The scene looked worse than it was. The fibreglass camper shell broke
apart and all of our gala stuff flew out. Leigh's purse was ejected
from the car, but when we found it the laptop still worked. Even the
picture frames (which were packed quite well) survived. All we lost
was one camera and a laptop.

I have so much more to say about this, but very little time. Perhaps
later. The important thing is that we all survived, even if it has
been a bit hard to drive. Hope you're all doing well. I'll update
soon, but now I need to grab some radio tracking gear and head back
out to herd a 3 year old black rhino back onto our property!