Former Durban man’s family losing hope
A former Durban man is the only passenger still missing after a whale-watching boat capsized off Vancouver Island.
|||Durban - A former Durban man is still missing after a whale-watching boat capsized off Vancouver Island, Canada, at the weekend, killing five Brits and injuring several others.
In Durban, the family of Ravi Pillay – the only passenger still missing – had all but lost hope of finding him alive as search and rescue efforts went into day five on Thursday.
The incident happened near the coastal town of Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, on Sunday.
According to international media reports, Pillay, 27, his British girlfriend, Danielle Hooker, her sister, Aimee, and her father, Nigel, were all on a trip in the country when the Leviathan II capsized. Nigel died in the accident while the sisters both survived. There were 27 passengers in the boat. Pillay is believed to be the only passenger still missing.
Pillay’s Durban grandfather, Lexy Shunmoogam, told The Mercury on Thursday that the family had come to a “conclusion that we won’t recover him alive”.
However, he said, the family were still “just hoping that the body will be recovered at least – just for some closure”.
Shunmoogam said Pillay and his parents, Judy and Mike, and his three siblings, Surina, Suvarna and Kereshan, moved to Sydney, Australia, about 15 years ago.
He said he had last seen Ravi in April when he had spent two months in South Africa visiting relatives.
Describing Ravi, he said: “With him, what you see is what you get. He was kind and loving. He was a big guy, but he was gentle and loved his family. He was looking forward to getting married.”
He said the family celebrated all their major events in South Africa.
“When the elder brother turned 21 they had a big party here. That’s because most of the family is still in the country.”
He said the family visited South Africa at least once a year.
Shunmoogam told The Mercury that a grief-stricken Hooker broke the news of the accident to Pillay sr.
The parents, with the assistance of the Australian foreign affairs and trade department, “immediately” made arrangements to travel to Canada as search and rescue operations continued, said Shunmoogam.
“The incident was shocking. They (parents) worked frantically to secure a passport (for Mike) and everything that was required for the travelling.”
He said Mike and Judy arrived at Vancouver Island on Wednesday afternoon. “They were warmly received. There were a lot of other people, families of the other victims. They had a get-together and it was highly emotional,” he said.
Most of Ravi’s family changed their Facebook profile pictures this week to photographs of Ravi. Their wallposts were inundated with words of encouragement and attempts to comfort loved ones.
Perry Padayachee wrote: “My prayers for you Judy Pillay and Michael Pillay, may Sai Baba guide you in your search for your beautiful son Ravi”.
“Please pray for my cousin Ravi Pillay’s safe return to his family,” wrote Dayna Govender.
The Mercury
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