A Durban teacher has been praised after finding missing former South African Air Force helicopter pilot Slade Thomas while taking her young son to school.
Lezé van der Walt, a teacher at Northlands Primary School, was driving her five-year-old son on Monday, 7 September 2026, when she chose to use a different route along Norrie Avenue.
The decision led her to Thomas, who was sitting partly hidden in bushes beside the road. Van der Walt immediately raised the alarm.
Community joins search for missing pilot
Thomas had disappeared over the weekend, prompting a large search operation in Durban. Volunteers, emergency personnel and private security teams joined efforts to locate him.
Family spokesperson Greg Parry said Thomas lives with severe memory loss, mental illness and depression, making his disappearance especially concerning.
Thomas is a former South African Air Force pilot.
Teacher turns down reward
Thomas’s family offered Van der Walt about KSh400k (R50,000) after she helped locate him.
However, she declined the reward and said the discovery was the result of divine intervention rather than her own actions as reported by Briefly.co.za.
Private investigator Brad Nathanson said Van der Walt was not the only person to reject financial compensation. Other volunteers and emergency responders involved in the search also turned down rewards.
The response reflected the wider Durban community’s willingness to help Thomas without expecting payment.
His family thanked everyone who contributed to the search and helped bring him home safely.
Mzansi praises teacher’s selfless act
@Nazreen Aziz Botha said: “Use the money to hire a caregiver to keep him company and safe.”
@Frank Williams wrote: “Still give it to her. She’s earned it.”
@Julie van der Merwe shared: “I would also not accept the money. You offer help to find another human. It comes from the heart, not because of money.”
@Wendy De Sousa Jones noted: “She did it for the team.”
@Wendy Tait added: “I’m sure the family can use the reward money to make the missing man’s life a bit easier…❤️”
@Jeowan Basanth concluded: “She’s cultured. She knows that the reward didn’t fit the situation. She would rather earn her dough diligently than just hit a luck. She’s a legend.”
