In this photo released by the family of South African adventurer David du Plessis, 24, du Plessis holds up the flag of South Africa as he reaches the summit of Mount Mismi located in the Andes mountain range of Peru. Source: AP

All the bullets are still in Davey’s body. Biggest concern to the doctors in Lima is the bullets in his lung and heart. “He is weak,” says his mother, Robyn, in an update on Facebook, “and the delay in surgery is because the doctors are trying to see which direction the bullets are going in. It's either open heart surgery to remove them, or the body builds a tissue around the one in his heart.” 

“The doctor is hoping that the body will get rid of them on its own, this causes much pain and all the energy your body has goes to do that, which leaves Davey weak.” 

Robyn says Davey’s father, Louis, who is in Lima with him assured her that Davey is on the recovery, even though he still has to undergo some processes. “He is in good hands, great surgeons. He is eating, bottom line stable and recovering. It's always difficult to assess his progress when you are miles away; Louis assured me that when I see Davey I will be relieved as he is really doing well.” 

4 hours in a boat

Previously details how Davey got into the first hospital, in Pucallpa, are contradictory: either an Amazon girl asked her brother to call Davey’s family and put him in a boat to get medical care, or he was left in a boat for four hours because he didn’t have money to pay for help.

Robyn gave the following details to shed light on how he probably got to the hospital: 

"Darwin's sister, the girl who asked her brother to call me told the AP report that Davey was brought to them in a motorized canoe, that he had lost a lot of blood and that they put him on an IV to rehydrate him and then put him on another boat and sent him further downriver to the hospital in Pucallpa.” 

“Perhaps that is why Davey was left in the boat for 4 hours.”

Letters from the Jungle

Robyn also published the following letters translated from Spanish, and written by Darwin, the caller.

Letter 1 (August 26th, 10.30am)

“OK, I am from Shipibo. Shipibo is a tribe from here in Peru, and my sister’s husband works in a community from Siphibo that is far from the city of Pucallpa. Davey was brought into this community and in this community Davey gave a phone number so that someone could communicate with his family. My brother in Law phoned my sister because I know a little bit of English and my sister doesn’t speak English, she only speaks Siphibo . That is why I phoned to give the news … I spoke to Davey and he told me that they stole all his clothes. When I saw Davey he did not have anything. They stole all his stuff that is what I can tell you, all his things were stolen when he was coming from the river.”

Letter 2 (August 28th, 3.48pm)

“Now Davey is in Lima, yesterday he was taken to Lima. Now I have lost touch with him, I would like to know how the situation is with him. I could not enter the Hospital because the police did not allow me to go in. The police told me that the South African Embassy is in charge now. Now I don’t know how Davey is, I hope he is well.”