Durban locals pay tribute to missing pilot
Some Durban locals have been laying tributes at Battery Beach for the missing pilot whose plane crashed into the sea during an aerobatic display.
The 61-year-old Johannesburg man was performing an aerial display outside Suncoast at an aviation summit on Thursday, when he allegedly lost control of the light aircraft.
On Friday, crowds were gathering near the site where search and rescue boats with divers were scouring the ocean.
Among them was Paulo Martins, a friend and colleague of the pilot.
READ: Search for missing pilot enters third day
He came to lay flowers at the beach with his family.
" We were friends, we were colleagues, we were aviators and that's just hard work. So, when I got the news, I had a feeling of who it might have been, and I didn't really want to ask, or I didn't want my questions answered. Eventually they were."
Thembeka Cebani, a businesswoman who runs a beachfront kiosk, says they hope the pilot’s family finds closure soon.
" We were just here by Sun Coast, we were just enjoying the plane, but we were shocked when we saw the plane going straight inside the ocean. So, the only thing now we are praying for if they can find the body."
Andre Stain, who lives in a nearby flat, was among those watching the airshow when the incident happened on Thursday.
" What you see in the video, it’s worse to see it live. It's more splash you see it live, so it was actually sad."
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