‘I thought I was going to die’ — Albany machete attack victim speaks out after marathon 10-hour surgery

On the ground in his backyard, a stranger standing over him with a machete, Kade Deacon thought he was going to die. Speaking to the Advertiser after emerging from a marathon 10-hour operation on his hand, the 20-year-old recalled the terrifying moments two armed men set upon him in broad daylight. Tendons to four fingers on his left were severed as he tried to block a swing of the machete. With extensive therapy and rehabilitation ahead of him, he will not be able to work as a wool presser for six to 12 months. Mr Deacon, who hails from Ongerup, was attacked about 4.30pm on Sunday, August 22, at a house on Discovery Drive, where he lives on weekends. He was sitting out the back when he saw someone jump a fence. “I couldn’t really see much so I didn’t know if he was jumping into my yard or the neighbour’s yard,” Mr Deacon said. “Once I saw him in my yard I asked him what was going on and then I saw a bloke with a machete running towards me. “I freaked out and tried to get out of there. When I was running around the table I tripped over. I was trying to shuffle back and I had my arm up in the air to defend myself; that’s when they cut my hand open. “I thought I was going to die really. It was pretty scary. He just ran straight at me.” Mr Deacon managed to scramble into the house, prompting the offenders to flee over the fence. During the attack, which lasted a couple of minutes, the men didn’t say anything to him. One of them was armed with a machete and the other was carrying a baseball bat. Mr Deacon believes he was not the person they had planned to confront. “It’s all a bit weird to me, I was actually going back to Ongerup because I’d just moved back out there for work,” he said. “I come down on the weekends, I’m still on the lease and have my room and stuff in the Albany house. “They definitely knew which house they were targeting and where they were going and what they were doing.” Mr Deacon was rushed to hospital by his girlfriend after the attack and then taken to Perth, where he underwent hand surgery at Fiona Stanley Hospital last Tuesday. He also sustained a laceration on his heel from the blade, requiring several stitches. He was discharged from hospital on Saturday. “The tendons in all four fingers were cut so they had to re-join them all together,” he said. “A bit of nerve damage was done. I haven’t got a hell of a lot of feeling and can’t move very well. I’ll stay up here in Perth for a while, see a hand specialist and do hand therapy. “They said my recovery to get my movement back is six to 12 months so I won’t be working for a while.” Police are still looking for the two attackers. They described the offenders as about 180cm tall with slim to medium builds. One was fair skinned and the other dark skinned. Both were wearing dark clothing. Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperswa.com.au.