Local

May her Moquini dream come true

September 25, 2005 Edition 1

SANTOSH BEHARIE & SBU NGALWA

It was 8.45am yesterday when the Sunday Tribune received a call from an emotional woman called Mary, who said that she had had a vivid dream about the missing Durban yacht Moquini and its crew of six.

Mary said in her dream on Friday night she was shown the location of the yacht. She said she believed it was somewhere in line with the southernmost tip of Madagascar and the northern tip of Swaziland.

"I did not know who else to contact about my dream so I decided to contact your newspaper.

"The dream really troubled me. I could see myself standing at the base of Madagascar looking at Africa. So when I woke up I drew a line from the tip of Madagascar and realised that it ended at Swaziland," Mary said.

Coincidence or not, the location of the yacht in Mary's dream was the exact area that two aircraft began their search yesterday.

Soon after her call, Richard Crockett, one of the co-ordinators of the search and rescue mission for the missing crew, confirmed that the two aircraft took off from Mozambique and were searching the very same location that Mary had mentioned.

"We have not taken any kind of information we have received for granted," he said. "Every bit helps us and gives us hope. It is strange that the woman said she dreamed of that location because that is exactly where our aircraft are currently conducting their search. If I am not mistaken, the southern tip of Madagascar is in line with the northern tip of Swaziland," he said.

Meanwhile, strain seems to be taking its toll on the families of the missing crew. Yesterday, in a hastily-convened press conference, the family members - including the wives, girlfriends, children and siblings - called for more assistance on the search.

Yesterday's affair was a totally different scenario from last week where the families were more upbeat about their loved ones' safe return. The families were seen hugging each other, offering moral support at the Royal Natal Yacht Club.

"We are still hoping for their safe return," said Gail Dickerson, mother of crew member, Sheldon.

In a joint statement, the families appealed to "the people and the government of South Africa for their financial and logistical support". They also called on corporate businesses to donate funds and resources like aviation fuel.

The families' spokesman, Anthony Gordon, said they were currently using three smaller, privately funded planes - which have a limited range - to search for the missing yacht and they required bigger, more capable planes to assist.

It cost R250 000 a day to conduct the search, said Gordon.

The SA Air force this week withdrew their C130 aircraft from the search, saying they needed to use it for Air Force business.

Gordon said they raised about R800 000 in donated funds but required "millions" to conduct the search.

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