The barefooted man who stole my air rifle

Last Saturday I returned home after an afternoon spent at a well-known air rifle range. It had been beautiful, sunny and cool, and I had "zeroed" my scope to perfection.

At 7 p.m. I packed up to go home, saluted the two remaining members at the range and at 7.30 I arrived home.

I parked the car in the garage, took hold of the air rifle in its carrying case and was going to enter my house. On reaching my front terrace I noticed a very unusual sight. A man in shorts and barefooted was hiding in the shade of my drive-in - immediately I knew that something unusual was about to happen and that this man was waiting for me!

On the spur of the moment I decided not to enter my drive-in but walked on past to the other side of the road.

The man flew at me from behind, grabbed the case with rifle from the back, pulled me half way along the road with him, and when I was going to fall I let go of the rifle case and it was snatched! All I saw was the barefooted man running towards a getaway car, waiting some distance away with a driver in it.

All this took about 30 seconds.

I reported the matter to the police and they gave the matter its due attention. Courtesy was shown to me and my family and it had the much-needed calming effect after a very traumatic ordeal.

All my life I have handled firearms to and from shooting ranges.

I have been a member of the Shooting Federation for the past 35 years, and nothing like this has ever happened before.

My rifle and telescope and all accessories, which cost me a considerable amount of money, seem to have gone for good. The anger remains. It seemed so easy for the robber, who had the advantage of youth and surprise. It was like taking candy from a baby.

I write this to share my sadness at the loss of a treasured item and to alert others to the reality of this possibility.

Three days ago, it never crossed my mind that such a thing could happen. Now I know otherwise.