Kidnap Appeal to Surfers!

While the NPO Gift of the Giver negotiates with the pirates in Somalia to release the duo, their family have set up a trust fund and SMS payment scheme. The couple were working on board the yacht SY Choizil on October 26 last year in the Mozambique Channel when it was taken by pirates. The skipper of the yacht managed to remain free by sticking with his yacht, but the couple were seized.

After a monster demand of $10 million, which is far beyond the means of them or their families who live by modest means, the pirates are demanding $4m (R28.6m). However, people are hoping that the work of the NPO, coupled with a sizable contribution raised through this campaign, will be enough to secure their release.

According to news sources, a Dutch court sentenced two Somali pirates to six and seven years in prison for abducting Pelizzari and Calitz, but the other pirates are still at large.

His close friend Leon Dessels, who lives in London, remembers the days Bruno was a well known figure on Durban's beachfront, a humble man wo worked as a elevator technician, and later as a worker on yachts.

"The whole strip of beach from Blue lagoon to Battery beach was our hunting grounds and we really were some of the first locals that surfed there. We sometimes surfed the Blue Lagoon mouth because that was the most sure fire way of avoiding the crowds. We’d simply asked the fishermen if any big sharks had been hauled out recently and that would be good enough for us"

"He’s a well-known figure all along the Durban beach front. I remember being annoyed walking along the beachfront with him because he’d stop to talk so much. These were often okes whose names he didn’t know, and I know many of these o’s didn’t know his name.  For many years he worked as a lift technician and would spend every lunch hour either sitting in his work car staring at the surf at the Snake Park parking lot or he’d be out there riding his home made short boards. The board was a fixture in the back seat of the car. They were always small, small enough to fit in the back of an Uno. They were always different, Bruno never follows the mainstream. When the rest of us were riding 6.6 single fin boards he was ripping on a 5.8 single fin.

"Eish, Bruno and I have shared a lot. We grew up in Overport; Bruno lived around the corner from Erol Hickman’s and was well known by the Indian community along the bottom of Sparks road. They called him Chico. He lived in the outside room and I spent most evenings there, listening to stuff like Steve Miller and JJ Cale, making, fixing or just polishing our boards and psyching up for the next surf.

Please donate R10 to the appeal to save Bruno and Debbie: simply SMS the words SOS Wavescape to 38417.

"He never liked traveling much, his first trip past Pietermaritzburg was when he was drafted into the army. What a bummer that turned out to be for him. He was a week away from clearing out when they extended it to two years!

"He’d always grumble about being sent away for work. We did hit the south coast often and pioneered places like Reunion and Happy Wanderers. We also had some amazing trips to the Skei, Jeffries and the eastern cape. He’s a totally stoked surfer with salt in his blood. He named his sons Frans Westly (westerly – the wind that means good surf in Durban) and Jeffrey (guess !)

For other payment options or for more information, please visit www.sosbrunodebbie.co.za

"After seeing his laaities through school, he changed a lot in his life, ultimately taking the step to get out there and do some of the exploring I’ve been raving at him about.

"He set sail for the great unknown, trusting that there are empty waves out there that had his name all over them. He sent me a photo of himself riding some tiny waves in/near Dar Es Salam. As I said, never mainstream, check out the board he’s riding! (above)

"Then I got the news. He and his partner Debbie were crewing the yacht Choizil back to SA. He was going to see his new grandson before continuing his trip of a lifetime. The rest can be read all over the papers and using the link www.sosbrunodebbie.co.za

"He’s my brother and I need him back. If I had the dosh, I’d pay the ransom myself. So please help!"

BANKING DETAILS

(to make a contribution of your own choice direct transfer or EFT)

FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Florida Road, Durban Branch
Branch / IBAN Code:  22 05 26
Acc Name: SOS BRU and DEB TRUST
Acc. No: 6232 556 1505
( Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ)