Cape Town - Justan Visagie, the firefighter who was killed in a helicopter crash while attending to a runaway fire in the Bainskloof Pass, will never meet his unborn son.
Visagie’s girlfriend, Chantal Sass who is six months pregnant with their son, was among the throng of mourners who packed the Christian Mission Church in Tulbagh for his funeral on Sunday.
Family, friends, neighbours and colleagues came to pay their last respects to Visagie as he was laid to rest in his home town of Tulbagh. Some listened from outside as the small church could not accommodate all the mourners.
Visagie and chief helicopter pilot, Darrel Rea, who were part of the team that were battling the fires in the Bainskloof Pass over a week ago, were killed in the crash.
Colleague Vuyolwethu Yinana said Visagie was “very competent and a true leader”.
“He was genuinely a nice person and a very good leader. He was also a very funny person and when it was time to get serious he would get serious and take on his job very well. That is why he was promoted (to crew leader).”
Yinana said after the crash a lot of the staff were left distraught and some of them even became afraid to fly in a helicopter.
“I think after a while they got over it. It is part of the job and you could die in another way, like in a car.”
Visagie’s strong leadership skills were what secured his promotion to crew leader despite being a quiet guy, his aunt Beaty Swano said, adding that he took on the role quite well.
“Justan lived with me while he was in school and he was a very quiet child, but he was a role model to the kids here in Tulbagh. He was very hard working, since his school days and he was very neat.”
Swano said Visagie would tell her that he did not want a job that involved being in the sky, water or dealing with fire.
“He would say those were easy ways to die but I would tell him that you are not the one that chooses the work you do.
“God chooses for you and he ended up being a firefighter and loved his job. He was also very loving towards his family and friends, he was always there when we needed him.”
His cousin, Lekim Whites, with whom he grew up, said he was very excited about the baby.
“I remember how we would sit together at night and joke.
“He would tell me that he was very excited... that he would be there for his baby and provide for him.”
Visagie joined Working on Fire in 2013 and last year was promoted to crew leader. In the same year he was promoted again to Helicopter Safety leader.
Cape Argus