A 79-year-old Gold Coast man is recovering in hospital after a terrifying home invasion in which he was struck with a golf club – an ordeal that came perilously close to costing him his eyesight.
Rex Nordstrom was sitting in his recliner at his Bacardi Court home in the early hours of Tuesday morning when four hooded intruders climbed the fence and forced their way inside.
“The bloke walked in, hit me first. First word was ‘money’. And I stood up and said, ‘no money’. And then I got whacked again,” Mr Nordstrom said.
His wife, Trish, was upstairs at the time and heard the attack unfold below. “Chaotic, hectic,” she said, describing the brief but violent confrontation, which lasted about 30 seconds.
The home was left stained with blood, and Mr Nordstrom was rushed to hospital where he underwent three hours of emergency surgery. Doctors later told him the injuries came within millimetres of a catastrophic outcome.
“He said if it had been half an inch further that way, it would have popped the eyeball – I’d have lost the eyeball. It would have been game over,” he said.
The four offenders fled the scene and are believed to have continued their crime spree across the Queensland–NSW border. During the break-in, the couple’s red Mercedes, a birthday gift Mr Nordstrom gave his wife in 2018, was stolen.
“I just hope that they catch these blokes,” he said.
Despite the trauma, the couple say they have no plans to move from the home they love.
And in a striking display of strength, Mr Nordstrom has retained his trademark good humour, even managing a dig at the man who attacked him.
“His golf swing’s terrible,” he quipped. “Good for a burglar, but no good for a golfer.”
“I’d love you to come back,” he added. “I’d love to talk to you.”
Police are continuing their investigation and have urged anyone with information about the home invasion or the stolen vehicle to come forward.
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