TOTI and South Africa lost one of its marine ambassadors with the death of renowned marine biologist Dr Allan Connell (72) in a diving accident at Park Rynie on Friday, 18 March.
The South Coast Herald reported that veteran diver, Allan and his diving partner of 10 years, Mike Fraser, had disembarked for a recreational dive just off Scottburgh when disaster struck.
“I drifted deeper into the reef we were exploring at a depth of 45 metres. When I eventually looked at the timer, I saw it was time for us to surface. I then realised that Allan and I had become separated,” said Mike.
As Mike slowly surfaced and eventually breached, he realised that Allan had not yet surfaced. Making his way towards the surface marker buoy onto which both of them had hooked, Mike tugged on Allan’s line.
“I pulled on the line and when I felt the resistance, I knew that the worst had happened
“I pulled on the line and when I felt the resistance, I knew that the worst had happened,” he said.
“I found him at the bottom of the ocean, in a sitting position,” said a visibly distraught Mike.
He managed to bring Allan’s body to the surface, where Ezemvelo officers assisted in getting him onto the dive boat.
Once ashore, paramedics attempted unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.
Mike added that he was mystified at what could have led to his friend’s death. “Nothing appeared wrong – Allan hadn’t run out of oxygen and did not appear to have experienced any form of difficulty,” he said.
“He was quite fit for a man of 73 with some 30 years’ diving experience. However, I know this is how he would have preferred to go – doing what he loved, what was his passion.”
Allan headed the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for many years and was instrumental in helping map the different fish species worldwide. He was credited with mapping the most species in the southern hemisphere and had countless species named after him.
He often battled with Japan over the list of endangered species and once offered advice to the magistrate presiding over a case where Sappi Saiccor was accused of damaging the reef. Allan offered to go down, photograph and produce a paper to show there was no damage. His evidence that caused the magistrate to rule in Sappi Saiccor’s favour was so appreciated the paper giant published a book of his underwater photographs for free.
“Allan was anything that was marine-related,” said his sister Bev McNaught-Davis. “Anybody could ask him anything. He was a very laid-back guy. All his work and research was available online for anybody to use.
He was our strongest contender to keep our marine heritage clean.”
this is how he would have preferred to go – doing what he loved
Allan was born in Toti and was head boy at Kingsway High School. “He always had a love of the outdoors, birds and eggs,” said Bev. “Every year at high school he entered and won the ‘veld and vlei’ competition which was open to all students.
He wrote his masters in agriculture, which was sent to America and it came back a doctorate.
Allan would always give you the benefit of his wisdom. In the natural world he was in his element.”
