From near-death to community hero: Irafaan Abrahams' journey
A year ago, Cape Town sports personality and teacher Irafaan Abrahams faced a harrowing encounter with death when he was caught in a deadly rip tide at Scarborough beach.
He reflected on that life-altering moment by visiting those nearest and dearest to his heart and giving back to the community that continued to inspire him.
Abrahams, a passionate marathon runner known for his campaigns to raise funds for school shoes, vividly recalled the day his life nearly ended.
“The whole ordeal was recorded on my watch: seven minutes,” he shared. “That’s how long it took for us to swim out of the rip tide that I was caught in, covering 350 meters. Can you imagine that?”
He described the terrifying moment he found himself in distress: “One minute, I was comfortably swimming parallel to the waves; the next, I was being pulled into the ocean. I tried to stay calm but soon realized I was going nowhere but backwards.
“Exhausted and cramping, I spotted two boogie boarders and surfer Stephen ‘Dassie’ Guess just as I was about to give up. I gathered my last energy to shout and wave for help.”
Dassie noticed his distress signal and heroically came to his rescue. “At that moment, my life flashed before me. For a second, I felt I wasn’t going to make it back to shore,” Abrahams recalled.
Once safely on the ocean bank, surrounded by his lifesaver and family, he vowed to seize every opportunity to give back to others.
On the anniversary of his near-death experience, Abrahams demonstrated that vow by preparing a 100-litre pot of chicken akhni by hand himself and braaied boerewors rolls for the community of Kapteinsklip.
True to his generous spirit, he included special treats for children, handing out their first pen-and-pencil sets, and provided essential sanitary pads to women.
“This one was different for me,” Abrahams said. “Yes, we did this often, but this drive hit me again—a reminder of how important it is to live every day as if it’s your last. Life moved so fast, and these very people inspired me to keep going.”
Kapteinsklip held a special place in Abrahams’ heart as it was the first community he visited with Dassie after his accident. Reflecting on his second chance at life, he expressed gratitude and a renewed sense of purpose.
“I looked at these people, who’ve been fighting for over a decade for proper housing, and I felt this was the least I could do. I also introduced the idea of having two moms from the community serve the meals. It’s about instilling dignity and fostering unity.”
The people of Kapteinsklip embraced Abrahams, affectionately calling him “Boeta Irafaan.”
Gadijah Skippers, a long-time resident, shared, “When he pulled up, the whole atmosphere changed. He didn’t just come with a ‘here’s your food’ attitude; he interacted, laughed, and chatted with everyone. Rain or shine, he was there. We joked that we loved it when it rained because then he made chicken soup, and it was always amazing.”
Ilhaam Abrahams added, “He motivated us to be better people. The children especially felt encouraged—they developed an ‘I can’ attitude and even looked forward to school because of him. The dignity he brought by letting us women serve the meals meant so much.”
Reflecting on Abrahams’ journey, Ilhaam remarked, “When he came here after his accident, I immediately knew Allah had bigger plans for him. His work wasn’t done; he was meant to stay on Earth to make a difference.”