Dentist chair horror

My moment of terror in the dentist's chair
Independent Online World News, Cindy Zeilhofer, September 16 2004 at 10:27AM

A routine trip to the dentist turned into a nightmare for Pearl Cochrane when she found herself faced by armed men while still in the dentist's chair. Cochrane arrived for her appointment on Wednesday morning at the office of Dr Izak Geldenhuys in Colbyn when two armed men accosted them in the room.

Eldoret Davel, Geldenhuys's nurse and receptionist, had the misfortune of finding herself in this situation for the second time in one week. She was held up on Saturday while opening up the offices.
"On Saturday it was one man who walked in and put a gun to my head. Luckily I was on the phone with my husband who heard me scream and managed to get help," she said.

Saturday's incident left Davel without a cellphone and cash.

During the robbery on Wednesday, two men held up Davel, Geldenhuys and two of his patients, as well as Dr Tielman Meyer and his assistant Casta Smit in the offices next door.
"The men came in and forced us to lie down on the floor. I could not believe this was the second time in one week this was happening to me," said Davel.

The men apparently asked for jewellery and money. They ripped a chain off an elderly patient and then yanked Cochrane's diamond wedding ring off her finger despite her pleas for them to leave it. In the meantime, Smit and Meyer were forced to the ground in their offices. "They held Casta up before I even saw them. Then they told me to lie down. One man kicked me in the face," said Meyer. The men escaped with their loot.

Cochrane said she was not scared during the ordeal, just very shocked.
"We managed to remain very calm and I think that helped us," said Geldenhuys, who has vowed to put a security system in place. Meyer said he sent his traumatised assistant home and their patients' appointments were cancelled for the remainder of the day.