Vereeniging -  An ER24 paramedic was stabbed eight times in an attempted hijacking in Vereeniging this afternoon.

Off-duty ER24 paramedic, Ryno Strydom (30), was driving along Mario Milani road when he noticed a man lying in the middle of the road. Strydom’s immediate thought was that the mad was knocked over by a vehicle. He stopped and got out of his vehicle to assist him.

According to Strydom, the man then jumped up and two more men came running from the side of the road. They pulled him to the side of the road, towards the river where they stabbed him eight times. He was stabbed in the throat, chest, back and legs.

“They first searched me and took my wallet, watch and cellphone before they stabbed me”, Strydom said.

A few moments later the men ran towards the road.

Strydom explained that he struggled his way back onto the road where he found his car pulled to the side.

“I think they couldn’t get it started due to the immobiliser”, Strydom said.

He then got into his car and drove about 12 kilometers to his ER24 base where he collapsed in front of Branch Manager, Andre Bronkhorst.

“He was bleeding profusely and we immediately applied pressure to his wounds”, a shocked Bronkhorst said.

Strydom was stabilised with the help of other ER24 paramedics at the base before he was rushed off to Mediclinic Emfuleni.

He is currently being treated and is understood to be in a stable condition.

Last week two ER24 paramedics were held at gunpoint in Gugulethu, Western Cape, when they attended to a medical emergency.