An inquest docket has been opened following the discovery of a body at Bay of Plenty beach in Durban on Friday night. 

According to police, preliminary investigations suggest that it could be the body of missing pilot Andrew Blackwood-Murray, who crashed into the sea last month.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said the unidentifiable body was possibly washed out from the ocean. He said the deceased was wearing a flight suit.

“However, formal identification processes will be conducted to ascertain the body’s identity,” he added.

Garrith Jamieson of ALS Paramedics said emergency services were called out to North Beach at around 10.30pm following reports that a body had washed up on shore.

Paramedics responded to the scene and found South African Police Services (SAPS) and Metro Police Search and Rescue already in attendance, with the area cordoned off.

“Paramedics were shown to the beach where they found a male believed to be in his 60s who had been washed up onto the sand,” Jamieson said.

He said the man was assessed and showed no signs of life.

He was declared deceased at the scene.

Last month, well-known pilot Andrew Blackwood-Murray, went missing following a plane crash in Durban on Thursday, August 14.

At the time, he was part of an airshow linked to the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Global Summit 2025, hosted at Virginia Airport. The accident occurred just before 2pm, when the ZS-AEC Extra 300 aircraft that was performing its final display crashed into the sea.

Many of Blackwood-Murray’s friends shared tributes, describing him as a “world-class pilot and true gentleman.”

seanne.rall@iol.co.za

IOL

Source link