'All I thought of was sharks'

2008-04-13 22:57

Loraine Kalp

Gansbaai - "I kept thinking about the sharks swimming around us," said Marili Esterhuyse, girlfriend of Cheetahs' centre Hendrik Meyer, about their nightmare experience when a freak wave capsized the boat in which they and 17 other people were near Gansbaai.

Three people - two Americans and a Norwegian - drowned when the boat capsized.

Marili, 22, a psychology student from Bloemfontein and Hendrik, 24, had gone out early on the boat to do shark-cage diving among Great White sharks.

Hendrik - who had been on the Cheetahs' replacement bench for the match against the Stormers - and Marili stayed on in the Cape after the match for a holiday.

The Cheetahs have a bye on Saturday and some time off this week.

Marili said the sea had been quite turbulent when they went out.

They were on the boat with tourists and the crew and there were other boats around.

Everyone had shouted, 'Hold on!'

They had finished diving and were almost on their way back.

Hendrik said that the man who had used the video camera had been the only one who still had to get back on the boat.

Marili said she had heard screams and everyone had shouted, "Hold on!"

Hendrik said he had been sitting in the boat's cabin and had seen the wave coming. Then it had hit and capsized the boat.

Marili landed under the boat and struggled to get to the surface. Hendrik was trapped in the cabin.

"I saw the boat's helm and knew I had to swim to the other side."

He kept kicking, swam out of the cabin and climbed on to the capsized boat.

Hendrik said he kept thinking about the sharks in the water.

He looked for Marili until she swam out from underneath the boat.

Marili said: "I had on a thick jacket and struggled terribly to swim. I couldn't see anything and just thought about getting on top of the boat."

She saw Hendrik on top of the boat and saw that his legs were covered in blood. He pulled her out of the water on to the boat.

She said: "I struggled to get out of the water."

Glad to be alive

Hendrik needed four stitches for the cuts on his foot.

Marili had bruises all over her body, but was not otherwise injured.

On Sunday, the couple returned to Stellenbosch where Esterhuyse is studying. They are just grateful that they survived.

Hendrik said his injuries weren't serious and that he would be able to play in the Cheetahs' next match.

- Volksblad