South African School Rugby Photographer Thys Lombard Dies At 61 While Surfing
- Thys Lombard, 61, collapsed while surfing at the 26th Annual Vintners Surf Classic in Jongensfontein on Friday
- NSRI, EMS and fellow surfers launched resuscitation efforts on the beach before medics declared him dead at the scene
- Lombard was widely celebrated in South African schoolboy rugby circles for capturing future Springboks through his lens
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Tragedy struck the 26th Annual Vintners Surf Classic in Jongensfontein on Friday 14 August 2026, when Thys Lombard, a celebrated school sports photographer and passionate surfer from Stellenbosch, died after losing consciousness in the water at Sandstrand.
Lombard, 61, was participating in the competition when fellow surfers noticed he had become unresponsive. They brought him to shore and began CPR while emergency services were alerted.
Two NSRI crew members swam ashore to assist with resuscitation efforts, joining medics from the Western Cape Government Health EMS on the scene. Despite prolonged attempts to revive him, Lombard was declared dead at the scene. An inquest docket has since been opened.
A legacy captured through the lens
Beyond the waves, Lombard left a profound mark on South African schoolboy rugby. A former Paarl Gim pupil and rugby player himself, he spent years working in the wine industry before converting his love of photography into a full-time pursuit, building a reputation as one of the most recognisable faces on the touchlines of school rugby grounds across the country.
Tributes poured in for Lombard
Andy Daniel, SuperSchools Sport broadcaster and presenter of The Rugby Factory, paid tribute to his friend, saying the rugby world was "much poorer" for the loss. Daniel described Lombard as someone who brought warmth and enthusiasm to every match he attended.
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"When you turned up to a rugby match, you would always start looking around for him," Daniel said.
"He always had the biggest smile, was always pleased to see you and always had a story to tell about players he had met."
Daniel further called Lombard the "ultimate storyteller with his photography", noting that his work had documented the early careers of players who went on to represent South Africa at the highest level, including future Springboks.
Lombard is survived by a legacy spanning generations of South African sport, his images forming a visual record of schoolboy rugby that stretched across decades of the game.
Source: Briefly News
