Double trouble strikes airfreight personalities

TWO PROMINENT members of the airfreight industry landed in hospital last week Ð but both are now back in harness. Gary Murphy, managing director of Fast International, had a narrow escape in Durban last week when his jet ski exploded while he was working on it with a friend. Murphy was busy draining water from the fuel when the engine exploded. Although he suffered no physical injuries he was rushed to hospital after inhaling fumes from the explosion. He was placed in an intensive care unit where he remained for two days, but he’s now fit and back at work in his Pomona office. Cargo Connection director Gerd von Mansberg required treatment after being diagnosed with malaria following a recent trip to the northern sector of Mozambique. “There are five strains of the disease, and my doctor was able to define which one I had within minutes of being tested,” he said. Von Mansberg had been on a 10-day trip in his 4x4 vehicle, spending the majority of time on malaria-free beaches. But it was during two trips inland that it is believed he encountered the problem. “I’m back in the office again,” he reported last week, “but I can tell you it’s a most uncomfortable experience.”