A young Pietermaritzburg who was believed to have been high on drugs has been seriously injured after he jumped off a two storey building.
The drama unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning, when the man in his twenties, was driving in a car with some friends.
According to a statement from ER24 bystanders reported that the man was on the roof, screaming that someone was chasing him even though there were apparently no visible signs of anyone close by.
"ER24 paramedics and other rescue services arrived on scene and tried to get the man to come down to safety. When authorities took out flashlights in order to see better, the man allegedly believed that they were fire arms and then jumped off the building. He landed in a empty parking lot and sustained serious injuries including various fractures," said ER24 spokesperson Pieter Rossouw.
"The man's friends allegedly told authorities that the man had taken several drugs including extacy and had started hallucinating in the car while they were driving. When they stopped to assist him, he got out of the car and ran to the building from which he then later jumped," he said.
"It took more than five men to restrain the patient to commence treatment for his injuries. After treatment, ER24 paramedics transported the man to Northdale Hospital for further treatment."
Rousouw said the actual cause of this incident remains unknown. Local authorities were on scene for further investigation.
