Durban - The missing Sharks Board employee, Siyabonga Gabela, who drowned with two others when the boat they were in capsized on Friday, was planning his wedding.
This was according to Erick Buthelezi, who survived the ordeal.
He said Gabela, from Melmoth, was a quiet person who kept to himself.
“He was a farmer, so when he got here to live with us on the company property three years ago, he asked for a little garden patch where he planted sweet potatoes and yams. When he would harvest them, he would give us some,” he said.
Buthelezi said Gabela had a child with the woman he was planning to marry in December.
At the eThekwini Community Church on Thursday, a memorial service was held for Richard Gumede, from eMkhomazi, and Mandlakayise Gumede, from Mtubatuba.
Siqiniseko Ngobese also survived. He and Buthelezi are from eShowe.
Buthelezi said Gabela’s last words were: “Men, it looks like we will not make it.”
This was just before a wave hit the boat as they tried to pull up a shark net.
“Then a second wave hit: these were huge waves. The sea was rough but became worse with the wind getting stronger and waves bigger,” he said.
“Richard said we should cut the net, but there was just no time. The third wave hit and the boat capsized.”
Buthelezi said they went down to the sea floor and swam to the surface.
“When we resurfaced, we could all see one another, but we were spread out. Then another wave hit. I could see Siqiniseko holding on to the boat’s engine, which was entangled by the net. I went to him and held on to the other engine. When we looked towards shore, we could see Richard being pulled on to the sand.”
Buthelezi said none of them wore life jackets because they did not zip up at the front and had to be pulled over the head. This made it difficult to pull in the nets.
“Siqiniseko could not move because the net had entangled him. I could move and would tell him when a wave was coming so he could hold on tight.”
He said by then they had all lost their strength.
Hillegard Holtzhausen, NSRI Richards Bay duty coxswain, said the City of uMhlathuze (CoU) lifeguards and the KZN Sharks Board told them that a boat had capsized at Newark Beach.
“Three crew members were located on the beach. Two men were reported missing. One of the missing men was located in the surf by the helicopter rescue crew who guided the sea rescue craft to the location,” Holtzhausen said.
Sea rescue craft Spirit of Round Table, ICE ambulance services, a Transnet National Ports Authority rescue helicopter and the NSRI Airborne Sea Rescue Unit swimmers, the SAPS and a Police Search and Rescue Unit and KZN Sharks Board personnel responded to help the lifeguards.
Ngobese said they were going back to work on Monday and he saw no reason why he should not go back into the water.
“First we need counselling; it has been hard. On the day of the incident, I couldn’t sleep. I remember being at the hospital and being awake at 1am, having flashbacks of what happened.”
Richard Gumede’s wife, Zinhle, described him as a man who loved his family and was willing to go out of his way to help others. “He loved soccer, he loved his children. He also loved his job because through it he could help many people.”
Richard, father of four, whose youngest child is 11years old, will be laid to rest tomorrow and Mandlakayise’s funeral is on Sunday.