A man was killed on Friday evening as he tried to fend off a gang of men attempting to rape his girlfriend.

The couple were walking along Riverside Road in Durban‚ a popular running and biking trail which has become notorious for muggings.

According to ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak‚ the couple was outside the Umgeni River Bird Park when a taxi pulled up next to them.

A gang of men surrounded the couple and began assaulting the man as he tried to defend his girlfriend.


Riverside Road, outside the Umgeni River Bird Park, in Durban. Photo: Supplied

“Paramedics arrived to find the man with multiple injuries‚ severe facial injuries and internal bleeding. There was nothing that they could do for him and he was declared dead on scene‚” Vermaak said.

“The 21-year-old woman was treated for multiple‚ serious injuries. She was later rushed to a nearby hospital.”

Vermaak said that a pathology report would be conducted to determine the exact cause of the man's death.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined.