Story by Sean Atkins, Photos by Kowara Bell
John Boss was left for dead on a remote jungle track after a brutal attack by bandits. Now, he has recovered enough to thank the MAF pilot who flew him to hospital.
It’s an emotional moment as John Boss meets Glenys Watson, the MAF pilot involved in the medevac that helped save his life.
The man from Habai, a remote community tucked under the Rocky Mountains of Papua New Guinea's Nomane district, was viciously attacked and left to die by bandits along the bush track that connects Habai to the nearest township of Kundiawa.
But he was rescued just in time and was taken to the nearest hospital via a MAF medevac, granting him a chance to survive.
Several months on from the shocking incident, John was able to meet up again with Glenys, who at the time was flying near Nomane when she got the call to medevac John to Kundiawa General Hospital.
John was able to express his gratitude to Glenys in person for giving him a second opportunity in life.
“I was already dead; my life ended on that day, but I was granted a second chance in life, so thank you, and may God continue, and your work here with MAF,” John said.
Glenys was elated to see that John was alive and well, and says she was grateful for the chance to respond to this medevac call to bring him to safety, as she noticed he required immediate medical intervention.
‘’I saw your head was fractured and you were in a critical condition that’s why I flew you to the hospital. I am delighted to see you are well and alive back in your village,” the MAF pilot said.
John and other Nomane villagers were returning from a two-day trip from Kundiawa town, in February 2024, after sending their children back to school, when he was ambushed by bandits near the Waghi river.
“They took my money, my store goods and even the clothes that I was wearing, and they told me to walk. And so, when I started walking, they started attacking me with their bush knives from the back,” John said.
The bandits slashed John three times on the head and shoulder with an attempt to end his life there. He collapsed on the ground unconscious as they fled the area.
“The others I came with fled from me, terrified by my wounds. I noticed I was covered in blood from my head to toe, but I vowed myself I was not going to die there,” he said.
“So, I hurried up and down the hills towards the nearby community while shouting out to God. A nearby pastor heard John’s cries and helped him to the health centre.
Community Health Worker Jeffery Lucas responded and was trying keep John in a stable condition.
“I didn't think he'd make it because the bush knife wounds were so bad that he would have gone into concussion at this point due to blood loss, yet he was still conscious,” Jeffery explained. He knew that if John's knife wounds were not treated properly, he would die, thus making a call for a medevac the best hope for saving John’s life.
Andrew Yalbai, John's relative, said that after several attempts to reach various health authorities, he was able to get a MAF response with just a call. “That was unbelievable, and I couldn't believe how instantly MAF responded,” he said. “And it's something I could value; it has never been negotiated, but it was a quick call to the MAF Goroka base, and one of the MAF pilots flying nearby rescued John Boss.”
Community spokesman, Jonah Obel, believed that the Lord had protected John's life while they waited for MAF to arrive in Nomane in time to save him.
“He should have died along the bush track but fought all the way because he had a clean heart, and he is a man of good deeds,” he said.
“We also didn't expect MAF to arrive on time because of our isolated location, but they did and that saved John.”
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