A KwaZulu-Natal restaurateur whose establishment was hit by a freak wave on Sunday has recounted the moments leading up to the total destruction.
Speaking to IOL on Tuesday, Jon Caple, one of the owners of Marina’s Seafood Restaurant in Marina Beach on the South Coast, said it was "nothing short of a miracle" that no one was killed.
He said there were about 25 patrons watching the rugby match on Sunday between South Africa and Romania when they noticed the waves were unusually high.
Caple said they even managed to get a few videos. He said there was a two-metre-high retaining wall with about 30 bags of sand weighing 250 kg at the front of the restaurant.
"In a second, one of the largest waves rushed through the restaurant, pushing everyone to the back of the restaurant."
A video has since gone viral on social media.
"The 250 kg bags of sand floated like balloons; that's the impact and force of the water. It’s a miracle it didn’t kill anyone."
He said one of the patrons—a 30-year-old female—got sucked into the surf but was thankfully rescued by a lifeguard.
"There were also children in the restaurant at the time, but their parents managed to keep them above the water as the water quickly receded."
Caple said the entire restaurant had been destroyed, with an estimated cost of over R3 million.
He said the restaurant, which is a neighbour to the popular holiday resort San Lameer, has been in the area for over 50 years and was a firm favourite even with the locals.
However, he was uncertain if they would reopen.
"The municipality offers us a lease on a month-to-month basis. We need a long-term lease if we are to reinvest and rebuild in the area."
Caple said they were looking forward to a bumper December with almost 60 staff, but things were unclear at the moment.
He said he was just glad everyone got out alive.
Craig Botha, from KZN Private Ambulance, said five patients were transported to hospital, with many of the victims in shock.
The South African Weather Service said the reason for this was a combination of spring tides, a new moon, and strong winds over a large part of the ocean, which caused a storm surge.
IOL News