Popular camel rides to return to Victor Harbor after horror crash as owners continue recovery

Teddy the well-loved camel has returned to work in Victor Harbor after a horror crash – as two members of the family owned business slowly recover from critical injuries.

Alyesha Austin with her beloved camels. Picture: Facebook

Camel riding has returned to Victor Harbor following a horror crash that critically injured two members of the family-owned business.

Kym Healy, co-owner of Healy Camel and Pony Farm in Kangarilla, which offers rides in Victor Harbor, expressed mixed feelings about returning following the crash, which has left his mother Lyn and sister Alyesha in hospital.

The crash also injured one camel – Teddy – while two others had to be put down.

“It’s good to be back but it is hard too as we’ve had a pretty traumatic couple of weeks,” Mr Healy, 45, said.

Mr Healy said initially he wasn’t sure whether his sister would live.

“We weren’t quite sure of the extent of my sister’s injuries or whether she would even pull through.”

Mr Healy’s mother was also severely injured but looks to be on the road to recovery.

“She’s a lot tougher than I am,” he said.

“Mum’s in rehab now so she’s got six or eight weeks of rehab and she can come home.”

However Alyesha is still just at the beginning of a lengthy recovery period.

Kym Healy with Teddy in Victor Harbor on Australia Day. Picture: Matt Loxton

“She’s still got months ahead of her and she’s obviously got to learn to walk again.

“She was in a coma for five days.”

But Mr Healy said Alyesha has remained in high spirits despite her condition.

She made sure her brother prepared her favourite camel, Larly Boy, correctly for the Australia Day return to work.

“I think she rang me 10 times yesterday, ‘make sure you do this and make sure you do that’ and I said, ‘I have worked with him for like 20 years.

“No doubt she’ll ring today to see how things are going.”

He said he was grateful for the community response from the public following the incident.

“It’s amazing the response we’ve had about having them back here.

“The people absolutely love them.”

Mr Healy was shocked at how many people missed his injured camel Teddy, which he has had for 22 years.

“I didn’t realise how iconic Teddy Bear is and I’ve had probably 20 or 30 text messages asking if Teddy Bear is okay.

“(People have said) ‘we love riding him every holidays, two or three generations of my family have ridden your camels’.”

The January 7 crash saw driver Alyesha Austin, 42, and passenger Lyn Healy, 75, rushed to hospital in critical conditions after their Ford truck, towing a trailer with the camels, collided with a Mitsubishi station wagon driven by 20-year-old Ethan Hall. Mr Hall died at the scene.

Two of Alyesha’s five children, Billie, 4, and Airlie, 6, were also involved in the crash.

Alyesha Austin, 42, with her husband Reegan Austin and children. Picture: Facebook

Ms Austin’s brother Kym Healy told 7 News that as his sister and mother slowly continue to improve he has decided it is time to get back to work.

“It’s probably going to be hard the first time back not having Alyesha there,” he told 7 News.

The co-owner of Healy Camel and Pony Farm in Kangarilla said he was gutted when two of the camels, involved in the crash, were put down on the scene.

“I was absolutely shattered and so was my sister when I told her, she didn’t stop crying.”

Mr Healy previously told The Advertiser it was heartbreaking to hear “that police took it in their hands and shot the other two (camels) without a vet being there”.

“They (the police) said (the camels) were stressed and had broken things,” he said.