The search was continuing on Monday morning for two men who crashed into the sea with their microlight aircraft near Port St Johns, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.
”Both men are missing and presumed to be deceased,” spokesperson Craig Lambinon said.
The 36-year-old French pilot, Jacques Foussat, and a 38-year-old British citizen, Christopher Wagstaff, from Lancashire in the United Kingdom, went missing on Saturday.
The NSRI crew and police divers on Sunday retrieved more debris and flotsam confirmed to be from the microlight.
”Police divers entered the water at various locations in the area today [Sunday] but did not find the main body of wreckage,” said Lambinon.
Their search was hampered by murky water and rough surf.
”An eyewitness had reported seeing the microlight go into the sea not far from shore at the Dwesa Nature Reserve,” Lambinon said.
Both men were involved in the production of a film documentary in the area and had been staying in Port St Johns and East London for the past month.
”It appears that they may have been filming at the time of the accident,” said Lambinon.
Captain John Fobian, of the police’s disaster management, said a police helicopter would join divers on the scene on Monday. ”We will continue searching for the men and the main fuselage over the coming days.” said Fobian.
The French and British consulates to South Africa and the South African Department of Foreign Affairs were in contact with the families of the men and with authorities abroad, he said.
The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre said in a statement it would send a fixed-wing aircraft to the scene at low tide on Monday to assist in the search. — Sapa