A Western Bay woman shot in Papua New Guinea during a gun battle was last night in an Australian hospital recovering from surgery to remove the bullet.
Bayofplentytimes.co.nz broke the story that Waihi Beach woman Cathy Franzoi had been shot in the leg by a stray bullet and her 15-year-old son Luke, who travelled with her, yesterday spoke exclusively to the Bay of Plenty Times about the ordeal.
The shooting happened after a gun battle erupted outside where they were staying in Port Moresby in the early hours of Monday morning. The stray bullet hit Mrs Franzoi in the back of leg above her right knee as she slept.
It was not known who had fired the shots but the pair had been warned about street gangs that operated in the city, known locally as "the rascals".
Mrs Franzoi, a volunteer ambulance officer, and Luke had been in Papua New Guinea for three weeks working as volunteers with Youth With a Mission (Ywam) Medical Ships, providing health care. They had finished their mission but chose to stay another night at a mission house.