Well-known racing driver dies

2008-10-06 09:12

Shantel Moses

Cape Town - Well-known racing driver Paul Pfeiffer, 42, died on Saturday after his car left the road during the Blue Crane race in Caledon and plunged into a dam.

According to Constable Simphiwe Bam of the Caledon police, the incident happened at about 12:50.

Fernando Rueda, a racing driver and Pfeiffer's brother-in-law, said the car in which Pfeiffer and his navigator Cindi Harding, 33, had been driving, hit a rock and rolled from the road into the dam.

Rescue workers were on the scene within three minutes.

"They managed to get Harding out, but couldn't get him out of the car."

Found at bottom of dam

Participants and bystanders helped in the search. About ten minutes later, he was found on the bottom of the dam.

Rescue workers struggled for an hour-and-a-half to revive Pfeiffer and finally found a pulse.

He was then taken to the Caledon Medi-Clinic where he was stabilised and then flown to Vergelegen Hospital in Somerset West. He died shortly after his arrival at the hospital.

"We are not yet sure what caused his death, but we suspect he drowned."

Pfeiffer had been a racing car driver for six years and was a tough competitor.

He was an investor and lived in Constantia. He leaves his sister and his father.

- Die Burger