Overview

• Forensic officials in Cape Town concluded that Howes died after colliding with a whale off Bloubergstrand on September 7.
• Examiners estimate the impact exceeded one tonne of force, causing immediate unconsciousness followed by drowning.
• Supporting evidence included ripped kite lines, a broken board, an untriggered safety mechanism, and the final recorded footage.
• Howes had gone out alone toward a whale group near Eden on the Bay before failing to return.
• The National Sea Rescue Institute and fellow kitesurfers led a search that first located equipment and later recovered his body, as the surf community mourns a rare and unpredictable encounter.