Dakar: Statement on death of Elmer Symons

Elmer Symons killed on Dakar Rally

29-year-old South African off-road racer Elmer Symons was killed on the fourth stage of the 2007 Dakar Rally on Tuesday according to race officials.

The fourth stage took place in rugged desert terrain in Morocco over 679km between El Rachidia to Ouarzazate. Race organisers, Amaury Sports Organisation, were informed on Tuesday morning that an accident had taken place at Kilometre 142 and a helicopter was dispatched, but doctors pronounced Symons dead on their arrival at the scene.

Symons, twice a winner of the Roof of Africa Rally, was the first competitor to die on this year's event after Australia's Andy Caldecott and two spectators were killed in 2006 in unrelated accidents. In 2005, Fabrizio Meoni lost his life after he broke his neck in a fall on the event.

The South African was lying 18th overall in the motorcycle category on his first attempt at the world's toughest motorsport event when the accident took place.

-credit: total motorsport