Overview
- The high-risk helicopter recovery over the weekend followed the late‑April disappearance of 59‑year‑old hotelier Gabriel Batista in Komati River floodwaters.
- Search teams used drones and a helicopter to track a single, unusually bloated crocodile that stayed near the likely wash‑down point.
- After officials obtained permission, a police marksman shot the reptile and Capt. Johan “Pottie” Potgieter was lowered onto it to fix a harness for the airlift.
- A field necropsy at Kruger National Park found two arms, part of a rib cage and flesh, plus at least six pairs of shoes and a ring believed to be Batista’s.
- Police submitted DNA for testing to confirm identity and to assess whether the extra shoes point to other victims, noting crocodiles often swallow many items during floods.