AN EAST London doctor who is thought to have drowned while snorkelling at Mazeppa Bay over the weekend may have suffered a heart attack or stroke.
East London ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist Dr Paul Bak, 64, who retired in August, died while on a weekend break with a group of Beacon Bay Rotary Club members at around 11am on Saturday.
A postmortem has yet to confirm the cause of death, said one of his two daughters, Jani Bak, 33.
Jani and her sister Maya flew down from Durban on Sunday after their mother, Merle, broke the news.
The father of two daughters and three grandchildren was enjoying one of his favourite hobbies when he died, she said.
A member of Beacon Bay Rotary Club, Hilton Dalback, said they were having breakfast when the experienced Bak decided to go for a dive.
He said they went to investigate when they noticed Bak was not “moving much” after a short while.
“The weather was calm and the sea very clear, an ideal time to go into the water. We realised there was a problem when we saw he was not moving much ... By the time we got to the beach, he had already passed away,” he said.
Bak had ridden his bike from Cape Town to Cairo as part of his adventurous life, said Dalback.
“He was a brilliant surgeon. A man of men, very active, fit, it’s a huge shock for us. He always spoke well of everybody, an outstanding citizen. It’s a tragic loss,” he said
Bak had been a two-time president of the Rotary club since joining it 25 years ago. He sold his surgery in St James Road, Southernwood this year, after 31 years of practice.
Jani said she and her 31-year-old sister, Maya, flew from Durban after their mother called them.
She said her mother was with her husband of 35 years when the tragedy occurred.
Jani said the family was “okay”, but shocked by his death.
“We are taking it day by day. We will miss his zest for life, his generosity and willingness to always help,” she said.
She said her father was an avid biker and a member of the BMW Bikers Club in East London.
Butterworth police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha confirmed the incident and said a postmortem had yet to be carried out to determine the cause of Bak’s death.
“A drowning was reported at the beach and an inquest docket has been opened,” said Manatha.
Dr Mark Richardson said: “I worked with him for 20 years as a colleague. What sticks out when I think about him is that he had a positive attitude about everything. Everything about life was just great to him ...
“It is an absolute tragedy, and to think just last Monday we had a cocktail event to say farewell to him because he was retiring. He served his community to the best of his ability as a doctor and touched many lives. There were only three of us in town, me, Dr Bak and Dr Steyn, and we got to know each other very well.”
Dr Paul Steyn described Bak as a very warm and generous colleague who was always willing to help.
“He was loved by all the staff at St James Hospital because he was extremely generous,” he said.
Bak’s friend, Rod Allen, 64, the co-owner of Green Park Lodge in Mthatha, said he was “absolutely” saddened by Bak’s death.
A memorial service will be held at Quigney Baptist Church at midday on Friday. — loyisom@dispatch.co.za and vuvuv@dispatch.co.za
EL specialist dies while snorkelling
East London ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist Dr Paul Bak, 64, who retired in August, died while on a weekend break with a group of Beacon Bay Rotary Club members at around 11am on Saturday.
A postmortem has yet to confirm the cause of death, said one of his two daughters, Jani Bak, 33.
Jani and her sister Maya flew down from Durban on Sunday after their mother, Merle, broke the news.
The father of two daughters and three grandchildren was enjoying one of his favourite hobbies when he died, she said.
A member of Beacon Bay Rotary Club, Hilton Dalback, said they were having breakfast when the experienced Bak decided to go for a dive.
He said they went to investigate when they noticed Bak was not “moving much” after a short while.
“The weather was calm and the sea very clear, an ideal time to go into the water. We realised there was a problem when we saw he was not moving much ... By the time we got to the beach, he had already passed away,” he said.
Bak had ridden his bike from Cape Town to Cairo as part of his adventurous life, said Dalback.
“He was a brilliant surgeon. A man of men, very active, fit, it’s a huge shock for us. He always spoke well of everybody, an outstanding citizen. It’s a tragic loss,” he said
Bak had been a two-time president of the Rotary club since joining it 25 years ago. He sold his surgery in St James Road, Southernwood this year, after 31 years of practice.
Jani said she and her 31-year-old sister, Maya, flew from Durban after their mother called them.
She said her mother was with her husband of 35 years when the tragedy occurred.
Jani said the family was “okay”, but shocked by his death.
“We are taking it day by day. We will miss his zest for life, his generosity and willingness to always help,” she said.
She said her father was an avid biker and a member of the BMW Bikers Club in East London.
Butterworth police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha confirmed the incident and said a postmortem had yet to be carried out to determine the cause of Bak’s death.
“A drowning was reported at the beach and an inquest docket has been opened,” said Manatha.
Dr Mark Richardson said: “I worked with him for 20 years as a colleague. What sticks out when I think about him is that he had a positive attitude about everything. Everything about life was just great to him ...
“It is an absolute tragedy, and to think just last Monday we had a cocktail event to say farewell to him because he was retiring. He served his community to the best of his ability as a doctor and touched many lives. There were only three of us in town, me, Dr Bak and Dr Steyn, and we got to know each other very well.”
Dr Paul Steyn described Bak as a very warm and generous colleague who was always willing to help.
“He was loved by all the staff at St James Hospital because he was extremely generous,” he said.
Bak’s friend, Rod Allen, 64, the co-owner of Green Park Lodge in Mthatha, said he was “absolutely” saddened by Bak’s death.
A memorial service will be held at Quigney Baptist Church at midday on Friday. — loyisom@dispatch.co.za and vuvuv@dispatch.co.za
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