Update: “I didn’t choose fish over friend” – marlin spearfisherman
He was still holding Johan's hand when they finally reached the beach where paramedics were waiting.
SPEARFISHERMAN Phillip Dreyer has denied that he was more worried about landing the 150kg marlin – that he had speared – instead of his friend who apparently suffered a heart attack after jumping off their rubber ducky to help.
Reacting angrily to allegations from several sources who spoke to the Mid South Coast Mail, Mr Dreyer said he totally forgot about the marlin and climbed on board their rubber ducky immediately to help administer CPR to his friend, Johan Dempers.
“When I realised Johan was in trouble I abandoned the fish right away,” said Phillip, contradicting reports that he was still trying to recover it.
However, another crew member was still concerned with pulling in the fish which was dead at this stage and attached to floats and four lines.
“I shouted at him to cut the lines so that other boats could get to us and help,” said Phillip. “I wasn’t even worried about the fish. I was worried about my friend.”
He said he was still holding Johan’s hand when they finally reached the beach where paramedics were waiting. However, Johan was declared dead at the scene.
Contradicting another statement, Phillip said the rubber ducky was big enough to carry the marlin, but even though it was a ‘catch of a lifetime’ he didn’t care.
Without him even knowing, another boat loaded the fish on board and took it to Pennington Ski Boat-boat Club.
While he was giving his statement to the police, someone handed him a phone. It was the club calling, asking him to pick up his fish.
“I said I didn’t want it, but they didn’t know what to do with it,” said Phillip.
He then picked it up and donated it to a children’s home so that it did not go to waste.
“But I certainly didn’t see it as ‘my prize’. I had just lost a very close friend.”
He was angry at being branded as uncaring of his friend and blamed it on misinformation being bandied about at Pennington Ski-boat Club where a fishing competition has hosted.
“We hadn’t even launched from there. We launched at Scottburgh.”
He said he had fought the fish for nearly two hours and it had towed him for about 4km before he managed to get it to the boat. Johan then jumped in to help and the exertion probably caused a heart attack.
Absolutely distraught at the false rumours being spread, Phillip said had hardly been able to sleep since the incident.
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