Dutch founder (33) of travel agency killed in kitesurfing accident in South Africa | Abroad

A 33-year-old Dutchman died in a kitesurfing accident in South Africa this week. It concerns the Brabant travel entrepreneur Charles Witlox, founder of travel agency Charlie’s Travels. Witlox was caught by a gust of wind and then carried a hundred to two hundred meters along the beach.

The incident happened on Sunrise Beach in Muizenberg, near Cape Town. The Dutchman was taken to hospital in a critical condition after the accident. There he died of his injuries last Thursday, reports the South African news site News24.

Charlie’s Travels

Witlox had lived in Kenya for some time, but grew up in Oisterwijk. In 2014 he founded Charlie’s Travels, a travel agency focused on adventure travel through (mainly) East and South African countries. Witlox regularly went out on his motorcycle to discover new travel destinations in Africa for his customers.

In 2020 he said about the mission of Charlie’s Travels: “We are looking for cultural and historical depth, want to develop lasting relationships with the local population to show people the real Africa.”

Charlie’s Travels reports that the travel organization will continue. ‘This is what Charles would have wanted. So you can just book, continue and experience your trip through Charlie’s Travels. Just, as you’ve always come to expect from us.’

Warning

Two days before the tragic incident, the South African weather service had issued a stormy weather warning. There would be an almost stormy wind, with gusts of up to 70 kilometers per hour. This would result in a turbulent sea, with waves between 3.5 and 4.5 meters high.

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