South African teen finds possible debris of missing MH370 plane

Liam Lotter, 18, told South Africa’s East Coast radio he found the piece of debris on a beach in Mozambique while on holiday in December.

A South African teenager has found debris which will be sent to Australia for testing as part of the investigation into the disappearance of a Malaysian Airlines plane two years ago, the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) said on Friday.

A piece of debris found by a South African family off the Mozambique coast, which authorities will examine to see if it is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. (REUTERS)

Liam Lotter, 18, told South Africa’s East Coast radio he found the piece of debris on a beach in Mozambique while on holiday in December and his family took it back to their home in South Africa.

He said that after a suspected part of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was found in Mozambique last week his family made the connection with his find.

That white, metre-long chunk of metal is being tested by officials in Australia, with help from Malaysian authorities and representatives of manufacturer Boeing Co. South African authorities plan to hand over the debris found by Lotter to the same Australian team.

“We are arranging for collection of the part, which will then be sent to Australia as they are the ones appointed by Malaysia to identify parts found,” SACAA spokesperson Kabelo Ledwaba told Reuters.

A piece of the plane’s wing was washed up on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion in July 2015.