Charles Esther
Residents of Durban have started laying flowers and tributes at Battery Beach in memory of Andrew Blackwood-Murray, who remains missing after his light aircraft crashed into the sea during an aerobatic display on Thursday afternoon.
The 61-year-old Johannesburg pilot was performing as part of the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Global Summit at Virginia Airport when the incident occurred.
Tragic Crash During Airshow
Blackwood-Murray lost control of his plane during the final stages of his aerial performance.
The aircraft, a ZS-AEC Extra 300, was executing high-speed aerobatic manoeuvres before it plunged into the water in full view of spectators and tourists.
Public Mourns the Tragedy
As search and rescue operations continued for a third day, crowds gathered at Battery Beach to mourn and show support for the family.
Among them was Paulo Martins, a close friend and colleague of Blackwood-Murray.
He said, “We were friends, we were colleagues, we were aviators – and that’s just hard work.”
Martins added, “When I got the news, I had a feeling of who it might have been. I didn’t want to ask, but eventually, the questions were answered.”
Eyewitness Accounts
Local beachfront vendor Thembeka Cebani described witnessing the crash and expressed her condolences.
She said, “We were just enjoying the airshow at Suncoast, but we were shocked when we saw the plane go straight into the ocean. Now we’re just praying they can find the body, so the family can have peace.”
Nearby resident Andre Stain also recounted the scene.
“What you see in the video – it’s worse to see live. It was more violent. It was actually very sad,” he said.
Ongoing Search and Rescue
Search efforts are being coordinated by the Joint Operations Command Centre (JOCC), with teams from the NSRI, Metro Police, and SAPS Search and Rescue working around the clock.
Authorities continue to search offshore in the hopes of recovering Blackwood-Murray.
David Awoyode