“I watched the wave wash away my businesses and injure my staff and customers and there was nothing I could do,” said a co-owner of a KwaZulu-Natal south coast restaurant that was severely hit by a freak wave on Sunday.
Jon Caple, 58, of Mariner Seafood Restaurant & Shipwreck Pub, said he was at the restaurant when the wave hit, injuring seven people and causing millions of rand’s worth of damage.
The restaurant, situated on the edge of the Marina Beach area near Southbroom, has been in existence for years, with the current owners having run the place for the past five years.
Guest houses, hotels and resorts also surround the restaurant, however, they weren’t affected.
Caple co-owns the business with Kevin Feinberg, 56, and employs about 35 permanent staff members.
He said during the festive season, they employ more than 30 seasonal staff to meet the demand as hundreds of tourists flock to the area.
Caple told TimesLIVE Premium that the incident, which took place just after 3pm, saw the wave crash into the restaurant, pushing patrons towards the back of the building.
“We noticed from Cape Town that there was a wave, so we somehow knew we would have a big surf, but we didn’t realise it would be that big. We had over 30 people, and we were watching the rugby match [Springboks against Romania], and we saw the surf getting bigger.
“One big wave, which was almost ceiling height, came and smashed right through the restaurant. Some of the people got pinned to the back of the restaurant, and one lady was sucked out of the restaurant by a wave to the beach. Luckily, the lifeguard saw her and managed to rescue her. Two of our staff members got injured badly, as did some customers. The waves carried on until about 6.30pm,” said Caple.
I was at the back of the kitchen and heard people screaming. People ran into the kitchen, and the wave just hit. It was so bad, but luckily, no-one died.
— Chef Cebo Mhlongo
Caple said an overseas tourist lost her bag, which had her passport and other documents.
The businesses have a restaurant, bar, pizza section and a takeout spot.
The concrete tables outside, which weigh about 200kg, were damaged and washed to the back of the restaurant.
Some of the big sandbags, which were about 120kg each, were scattered, and others were found at the back of the restaurant.
“They [the sandbags] were picked up like balloons, and that was how powerful the wave was. This is the time when we start planning for the holiday season, but now we don’t even have a restaurant. It will take us about three months to get up and running. It’s very hard, and I’m very heartbroken by what happened, and I feel so bad, especially for my staff,” he said.
Caple said to get to the restaurant back to where it was, it would cost about R4m.
On Monday, management, families and staff went early to the restaurant to clean up and to salvage what could be saved.
To their surprise, volunteers from the community joined them to lend a hand in cleaning the restaurant.
People brought their own tools and grouped themselves, and while others removed the furniture, others scraped out the sand on the floor.
“I am very happy to see the community coming to assist. I have also received a number of requests from people who want to donate or raise funds for the businesses, and we are still looking into that. Since we started operating, we have ever experienced this, but it’s one of those things that you can’t really avoid or do something about,” said Caple.
A chef at the restaurant, Cebo Mhlongo, 29, said he was still shocked that he survived but was now more worried about his job.
Having worked at the restaurant for more than four years, Mhlongo said he was the breadwinner and hoped the restaurant would be up and running soon.
“We basically don’t have a job at the moment. This was my first experience of such, and it was so frightening, but I managed to survive. I was at the back of the kitchen and heard people screaming. People ran into the kitchen, and the wave just hit. It was so bad, but luckily, no-one died,” said Mhlongo as he shovelled the dirt.
A resident, Alistair Kilham, who was at the restaurant on Monday during a cleanup, said seeing the damage at a popular tourist spot was disheartening.
Kilham said the restaurant holds special value in the hearts of the community.
“It's a beautiful place not only for locals but for tourists, and it plays a role in uplifting the local economy. It’s unfortunate that when you have a business this close to the ocean and want the tourists to come through, it’s an inherent risk you face. It’s amazing that people also came to assist, and this is a chance for the community to pull together and help rebuild the spot that everyone loves,” said Kilham.
Another resident, Sithembele Nzama, a tourism student, said she also decided to come and assist, as the spot is vital for tourism and the economy of the area.
Residents told TimesLIVE Premium that none of the houses was damaged by the tide as they are located a bit further up from the ocean.
Phelisa Mangcu, CEO of South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise (SCTIE), extended condolences to those affected by the weekend’s tidal surge.
“Our thoughts go out to the owners, staff, and patrons who are recovering, and we would like to thank the emergency personnel who attended to the injured so quickly,” said Mangcu.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.