Police in KwaZulu-Natal say a body believed to be that of missing pilot Andrew Blackwood-Murray has been discovered on Durban’s beachfront.

The body, dressed in a flight suit, was found on the shoreline at Bay of Plenty Beach on Friday night.

Blackwood-Murray’s light aircraft crashed into the ocean near Suncoast Beach about a month ago while he was performing an aerial display for schoolchildren attending an international aviation conference in Durban.

Although parts of the wreckage were recovered during the extensive search, the pilot himself remained missing until now.

Police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda confirmed that an inquest docket has been opened.
“The unidentifiable body was possibly washed out from the ocean and was wearing a flight suit. Preliminary investigations suggest it may be the pilot who crashed last month. Formal identification processes will now follow,” he said.

The discovery may finally bring closure to a search that has gripped Durban since the tragic accident.