Cape Town – The 93-year-old man who died in the devastating fire that destroyed Olympic swimmer Chad le Clos’ Sea Point apartment has been remembered as a beloved local character who lost his life after reportedly running back into his burning flat to save his dog.
In a heartfelt Facebook post published days after the tragedy, writer Herman Lategan identified the victim as Sam Strime, describing him as a familiar face at the Vasco da Gama Taverna and reflecting on decades of friendship.
“I knew the 93-year-old man who died in that fire. His name was Sam Strime, Chad’s neighbour,” Lategan wrote.
“He died because he ran back into his burning flat to fetch his dog. The dog survived. Sam didn’t.”
The tribute comes after a fire tore through the Dorchester apartment block in Sea Point on the evening of 30 July, destroying Chad’s home just hours after he became the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history.
Chad later confirmed that the apartment where he had lived for more than a decade had been completely destroyed. Despite his own loss, the Olympic champion focused his public message on his neighbours and the man who died in the blaze.
“It has taken me a while to process this heartbreaking tragedy,” Chad wrote on Instagram.
“Sadly my home, where I’ve lived for more than a decade, burnt down and there is nothing left to salvage.”
He added: “It is with a heavy heart that I extend my deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of my neighbour of many years, who tragically lost his life in this fire.”
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Lategan said what struck him most was not the destruction of Chad ‘s own home, but the swimmer’s decision to place the spotlight on others affected by the disaster.
“What struck me most about Chad’s post was not that he’d lost his own home,” Lategan wrote.
“Just hours after breaking the all-time Commonwealth medal record, he didn’t make the story about himself. Instead, he wrote first about the elderly neighbour who had lost his life, about the residents who had lost everything, and about the firefighters and emergency workers who battled through the night.”
Recalling Sam Strime, Lategan painted a vivid picture of a man known to regulars at the Vasco da Gama Taverna.
“For as long as I can remember, and I’m talking about decades, he was a regular at the Vasco da Gama Taverna,” he wrote.
“He had a mop of long grey hair, like curtains around his face… He possessed eyes so piercing that he could stare almost anyone out of the room.”
Lategan said he later realised that the “Chad” Strime occasionally mentioned in conversation was, in fact, his neighbour, Chad le Clos.
Personal farewell
He concluded his tribute with a personal farewell.
“And now one of Sea Point’s familiar faces is gone… Goodbye bright yellow, goodbye Formica table, goodbye Sam.”
Chad has since launched a fundraising campaign through the Chad le Clos Foundation to assist residents affected by the fire.
“Together with my foundation, I have set up a dedicated campaign to solely assist my neighbours as they embark on a very difficult journey rebuilding,” he said.
“100% of any donations raised will go solely to my neighbours, with the Chad le Clos Foundation managing the proceeds to ensure they are looked after.”
The swimmer also thanked firefighters, emergency personnel and the broader community for their support following the tragedy.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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Picture: Instagram/chadleclos92
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
