Heroic act at the beach: businessman sacrifices his life to save his nephew

A BUSINESSMAN, who arrived in Durban on New Year's Day to spend time with his four-year-old son and attend his cousin's wedding, "died as a hero" after he saved his nephew from a rip current at a beach in Ballito in Durban.

Although Mohammed Zaheer Sindhi's body has not been recovered since he was caught in a rip current at around 5.30am on January 2, most of his family have accepted that he had died.

His elderly mother, however, holds onto hope that he is alive.

Sindhi, 39, of Carolina in Mpumalanga, went for a swim with his sister's two teenage sons at Thompson's Bay when he and his nephew, Mohammed Uwis, 19, got caught in a rip current, which are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from shore. 

Sindhi’s brother, Omar Sindhi, said Uwis’ 16-year-old brother Uzair was playing at the shoreline, while the two swam in deeper water when they were swept away.

“My brother somehow managed to kick my nephew a few times to help him escape the rip current. A fisherman then managed to rescue Uwis. He said he was about to dive into the water to try to save my brother, who was by then swept further out to sea, but the current was too strong and he would have drowned. During all this time, Uzair watched helplessly from the shoreline. He is traumatised."

Omar said Sindhi, a self-employed motor spares dealer, had booked accommodation for his three sisters, their families, and his 70-year-old mom in Umhlanga from New Year's Day until Monday.

He said Sindhi was newly-divorced and was excited to spend time with his son, who lived in Durban with his mom.

“My brother went all out to spoil everybody. He wanted us all to be together. It is as if he knew something was going to happen. It breaks my heart that he did not get to see his son, who he was scheduled to visit later that afternoon or attend our cousin's wedding on Sunday."  

Omar said his brother's body had not been recovered and he and his siblings had accepted that he may be dead due to the number of days that had passed.

“It has been four days since the incident. Our hopes of him being found alive have dwindled. But my mother still believes he will come back home. She believes he must have been rescued at another beach and that he will make contact soon.

“The search and rescue teams told us on Monday morning that they were not specifically searching for my brother at the same spot where he drowned, but they were extending their search to the upper north and south areas, as the tide would have carried him further along the beach.

"We believe his body may be trapped in the rocks and as a result, we keep returning to the area hoping we spot his body. We cannot just leave him there. As Muslims, we usually have a funeral within hours of a death, but we could not have this closure as Mohammed's body was not found. All we could do was hold a prayer for him at a mosque in La Lucia."

He said he and his sibling shared a close bond.

"We were business partners. We were adventurous daredevils, and enjoyed offroad biking and any sport that gave us an adrenaline rush. My brother loved his son. We are devastated that he never got to see him when we got to Durban. After this incident, one thing is certain, my brother died a hero."

Samantha Meyrick, the spokesperson for IPSS Medical Rescue, said jet skis and drones were deployed as part of the search effort that involved KwaDukuza lifeguards and IPSS Search and Rescue teams.

“Despite ongoing search efforts from both the water and air, the swimmer has not yet been located. Authorities have urged members of the public to exercise extreme caution when entering the ocean, especially during early morning hours, as conditions can be unpredictable,” she said.

On Tuesday, Saleem Adam, the father of 14-year-old Amaan Khan, whose body was never recovered after he drowned at Umzumbe Beach in Hibberdene a year ago, said Sindhi’s drowning had “erupted the grief” he and his family felt.

Amaan drowned with his uncle, metro police officer Asif Khan, 36, who died a hero when he tried to save the teen after they got into difficulty in a rip current on January 31, 2025.

Khan’s body was recovered on the day, while Amaan’s body remains missing at sea.

“We have been struggling to cope with Amaan’s death for the past year, and seeing the drowning incidents, especially Sindhi’s drowning, affected us emotionally. It erupted horrible memories for the entire family over the festive period. We know what the Sindhi family feels, and we feel their pain. It is horrible. Amaan’s body was never found. We kept searching but weeks turned into months. The drownings which were published all over social media reopened our wounds,” he added.

Adam said his immediate and extended family had not been to the beach for an outing since Amaan and Khan’s deaths.

He said they visited the beach to conduct a prayer on Amaan’s birthday on August 19, 2025, and for his first death anniversary at the end of the month, they would feed homeless people and children to honour his memory.

“We decided that a feeding project would best honour Amaan’s memory as Amaan loved serving people. We conducted many prayers last year, and thought this year we would give back to those in need, in Amaan’s name. We will also join Asif’s mom when she hosts a memorial for him at the end of the month." 

Adam encourage families to learn about the dangers of the ocean before they swim. 

"Asif was a professional swimmer, and he drowned. With climate change, rip currents have become more and more unpredictable and dangerous, leading to many tragedies. We pray that this never happens to any other family." 

Lifesaving South Africa has commended lifesavers across the country for their tireless efforts since New Year’s Day, as thousands of people enjoyed beaches and other aquatic environments.

In a statement, they said despite the efforts of lifesavers on January 1, several serious incidents were reported:

•⁠ ⁠⁠Umhlanga Main Beach: lifesavers rescued occupants of a ski boat that capsized while launching. All were assessed and found safe, with numerous additional rescues conducted.

•⁠ ⁠iSimangaliso Wetland Beach: a 14-year-old boy drowned at this non-bathing beach. Details remain unclear.

•⁠ ⁠Pennington Beach: multiple bathers were swept out to sea. Two people were rescued, one was declared deceased, and three remain missing. Search operations are ongoing and the situation remains unfolding.

•⁠  ⁠South Beach, Durban: a bather was reported missing on January 1.

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