A body discovered on Durban’s Bay of Plenty beach on Friday night has raised the possibility that it could be missing pilot Andrew Blackwood-Murray, who disappeared after a plane crash last month.
Emergency teams were called after reports that a man’s body had washed ashore. The deceased, believed to be in his sixties, was found wearing a flight suit. He showed no signs of life and was declared dead at the scene.
Police have confirmed that DNA testing and formal identification will be carried out to determine whether the body is that of Blackwood-Murray.
The 61-year-old pilot vanished on August 14 when his Extra 300 aircraft crashed into the sea during an airshow linked to the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Global Summit. Despite weeks of search efforts, he was never recovered.
Tributes from friends and colleagues have described him as a world-class pilot and a true gentleman, admired both for his skill in the air and his kindness on the ground.