South African kitesurfer Graham Howes tragically died on September 7 near Cape Town. The cause was a collision with a whale.
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- South African kitesurfer Graham Howes has died at the age of 38.
- While kitesurfing, Howes collided with a whale, lost consciousness and drowned.
- "His spirit lives on in every wave, every gust of wind and every wild laugh," reads a farewell letter from his friends.
On the afternoon of September 7, Howes had not returned after a solo session. Colleagues and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) then launched a large-scale search operation. Parts of his equipment were soon discovered in the sea, and his body was recovered a few days later.
It was initially unclear how the 38-year-old died. As the newspaper "The South African" reports, the authorities have now confirmed that Howes died in a collision with a whale. This was the result of three independent autopsies.
According to the report, the investigators assume that the force of the impact was around one ton, that Howes fell unconscious immediately and then drowned in the water. Among the evidence was the damaged kiteboard and video footage from the scene of the accident.
"He died doing what he loved"
The Dirty Habits kitesurfing group is particularly sad. A small consolation for his friends is the certainty that Howes died instantly and did not suffer. "Graham was the heart of our community. He died doing what he loved," writes Dirty Habits. "His spirit lives on in every wave, every gust of wind and every wild laugh."
