Kyalami eye witnessI have seen various claims about driversbeing first to reach the scene of PeterRevsonis fatal accident at Kyalami.Alastair Caldwell (December) statedthat it was Denny Hulme. In your May1974 issue, Hulme, Fittipaldi, Hill andKeizan reportedly stopped to help.I was there as a marshal, decided towatch at Jukskei Sweep and took withme two fire extinguishers. From thereone could see several corners. EddieKeizan’s Tyrrell had ustdisappearedthrough Sunset when Graham Hillentered Barbecue. Then came Revson,and I watched him from Crowthorneinto Barbecue. It was here that I realisedsomething was amiss, since he did notturn but continued straight on.There was no brake lock or tyresmoke and he plunged nose-first into theArmco, halfway between Barbecue andJukskei. I have no recollection ofstarting to run, but before I reached thecar it was engulfed in flames. EddieKeizan and I arrived at the same time.So intense was the fire that there was noway I could get close. Eddie, however,took both my extinguishers and walkedbackwards towards the car.With my head in Eddie“s stomach, Ioperated both extinguishers from underhis arms. Graham Hill then arrived andfollowed Eddie’s backwards method.Slowly we began to suppress the fire,but then one of the extinguishers randry. Thatis when Denny Hulme arrivedon a fire truck — and it was he thatoperated the large on—board extinguisherthat defeated the fire, allowing Grahamto unbuckle Revson’s harness. EmersonFittipaldi must have arrived some timeafter Denny, because I became aware ofhim directly behind me.We lifted Revson from the car and puthim on an ambulance stretcher that hadarrived, but it was obvious that ourefforts had been in vain. Contrary tosome published claims, it is not true thathe was decapitated.I sat down with Francis Tucker, thechairman of the SA GP committee and apractising lawyer, to give a swornstatement that was used in the inquest.During a post-race gathering atFrancis’s house, I asked Graham howeveryone felt following Revsonisaccident. He replied, “Nothinghappened. Forget it.“Eric Fletcher; Pretoria, South Africa
