Rest in peace, and condolences to the friends and family of Duncan. The website below didn’t have a press release yet, and is pretty thin on info. –Matt
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SA ex-cop killed in Uganda crash
The Times
Published:Mar 11, 2009
A former special operations policeman from Pretoria was among 11 people killed in a plane crash in Uganda this week, Beeld newspaper reported today.
South Africa’s foreign affairs department has not been able to confirm reports that a South African was among the dead.
Beeld identified the man as Duncan Rykaart, a former special services policeman who had been working for a US-based landmine research company, Bancroft Global Development.
Beeld’s source was Bancroft programme director Rocky van Blerk.
Rykaart, who was married with two children aged 16 and 24, had returned from Iraq two months ago where he had worked for four-and-a-half years.
A Soviet-era transport plane crashed into Lake Victoria on Monday shortly after take-off, killing 11 people, international news agencies reported.
An underwater search for the remains of those killed was still under way.
Story Here
Bancroft Global Development Website
Hi Matt,
Another example of how the media gets things wrong. Duncan was a fine soldier and never a “special policeman”.
I first met Duncan in 1988 when he was a student of mine – I was at that time training a select group of SA Special Forces operators in Covert Ops. Duncan later joined EO (in 1993) and served the company well. He was also the EO in-country commander in Indonesia and he led the rescue operation in Irian Jaya in 1996.
He was a great all-round guy, a fine soldier, a dedicated family man and fun to be with.
I am sure that all who knew him in Special Forces/EO will mourn his passing.
Go well, Duncan. You were a man among men.
Eeben
Comment by Eeben Barlow — Saturday, March 14, 2009 @ 8:38 PM
Eeben,
He sounded like a good soldier and family man, and I am sorry to hear that he is gone. As an American, I am particularly thankful for his service as a contractor in this war, and it sounds like he will be missed by many. S/F -matt
Comment by headjundi — Monday, March 16, 2009 @ 6:58 PM