Four Gauteng divers meet tragi

Pictured: Melani Cilliers and Marie Snyman. / News24

Four Gauteng divers meet tragic death in Mozambique trip

Four Gauteng divers have lost their lives in a tragic accident. Worst of all, Marie Snyman and Melani Cilliers were due to get married in October…

Four Gauteng divers meet tragi

Pictured: Melani Cilliers and Marie Snyman. / News24

The death of four Gauteng divers, in a head-on collision with a truck, on Sunday, has caused grief and an outpouring of sympathy in the community. The quartet was returning home after spending the weekend scuba-diving in Mozambique.

What were the names of the four Gauteng divers?

The car carrying Colwin Setzkorn, Marie Snyman, Matthew Baartman and Melani Cilliers collided with a truck about 10km south of Pongola in KwaZulu-Natal.

On Tuesday, Annie Brown, a senior partner in Scubaversity, provided more details on the accident, stating that:

“As I understand it, the 18-wheeler truck’s tyres were worn. Two of the tyres burst and the truck collided head-on with the car. They died on impact. We were a family. It’s terrible what happened.”

The couple that won’t get to exchange their vows

Setzkorn, along with his partner of 25 years, Mandy Zietsman, owned Scubaversity, a diving club in Roodepoort, which Snyman and Baartman were members of.

Brown shared that Colwin was passionate about people who shared his love of scuba-diving. He also loved Marley, his Great Dane, who accompanied him almost everywhere.

Marie Snyman had proposed to Melani Cilliers in the French Alps, earlier this year. They were planning on exchanging vows in October. According to Brown, they were very in love.

Brown remembers both of them very fondly, describing Cilliers as

“a ray of sunlight in the office and the diving club” and Snyman as a “nature lover with a loving, caring personality”.

At the end of it all, life must go on

Brown also shared a touching description of the fourth passenger in the tragic car crash, Matthew Baartman. He was known to be a deep, sincere person and an excellent diving instructor.

Despite the recent tragedy, partners and members alike, agree that, in order to carry out the legacy of the deceased, the business must carry on.