Ukraine air disaster: SA pilot felt lucky to get seat upgrade

20 July 2014 - 03:03 By Suthentira Govender and Bongani Mthethwa
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LAST FLIGHT: Cameron Dalziel and his wife, Reine
LAST FLIGHT: Cameron Dalziel and his wife, Reine
Image: Sunday Times

Durban helicopter pilot Cameron Dalziel could hardly believe his luck. He had been upgraded to business class on his flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur and sent a "brag photo" to his family to tell them.

His wife, Reine, and the couple's two sons were waiting for him in Miri, Malaysia, looking forward to welcoming him back after a working trip in the Netherlands.

A few hours later, Dalziel, 43, was among the 298 people who died when the Malaysian Airline flight MH17 was shot down in eastern Ukraine.

Dalziel, his wife and sons Sheldon, 14, and Cruz, 4, moved to Miri in December, where he worked for Canadian company CHC Helicopters. His job includedflights to offshore oil rigs owned by Shell and Petronas, as well as emergency operations.

The family planned to fly home to Durban in two weeks for a holiday.

Dalziel's brother, Campbell, 38, with whom he shared many hours surfing on Umhlanga Rock's Durban View beach, is deeply shocked.

"I can't believe it. It's senseless, but I keep asking myself why," he said.

Reine was "besides herself, but she has to be strong for the boys".

Their parents, Meryl, 72, and Doug, 76, were devastated by the loss of their eldest son. "No parent should bury their children," said Campbell.

Campbell last spoke to his brother two weeks ago. His mother spoke to him on Wednesday - just a day before the flight that claimed her son's life.

Their sister, Candice, 46, flew from Dubai on Friday to be with the family.

Cameron's long-time friend, Neil Noble, a Durban paramedic now living in Australia, said he was devastated.

"He had a wicked sense of humour, one of the few people in this world that I know who was really genuine," said Noble. "Before his flight took off on Thursday, he messaged his wife and some friends to boast about being upgraded to business class. He couldn't believe his luck."

Noble, who struck up a friendship with Dalziel 20 years ago when they both worked for emergency services in Durban, said they had been on thousands of rescue missions together over the years.

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