A farmer is in a stable condition in the intensive care unit
at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital today after he was shot in
the head in a freak accident.
The man in his 60s was sitting in the back of a ute when his
companions shot at a water buffalo which had escaped from a
paddock in the rural community of Buckland, 5km south of
Pukekohe.
The bullet ricocheted off a tree, went through the roof of
the ute and hit the farmer in the back of the head.
He was taken by ambulance to Middlemore Hospital where he had
surgery last night and was today reported to be in a stable
but critical condition.
The freak accident happened as four men tried to shoot dead
two water buffalo which escaped as they were being loaded
onto a truck in Harrisville Rd, Buckland.
The beasts had ran amok on Monday, crashing through fences
with one escaping on to the road causing a minor accident.
Police said the men were worried the buffalo were dangerous
and could cause more damage.
The men went looking for the animals yesterday and found them
in a paddock.
Two men got out of the ute and one fired a shot which hit one
of the buffalo but did not kill it.
He fired again but the bullet struck a tree before
ricocheting through the roof of the ute and hitting the
farmer.
The wounded buffalo was later shot dead by a police officer
but the second buffalo was still being sought today.
Police seized the rifle the men used but said it was too
early to say if charges would be laid.
Initial inquiries appeared to show it was a tragic and freaky
accident, a police spokesman said.
