Overview
- The recovery, which occurred Saturday, followed a week-long multi-agency search near Komatipoort and led police to send samples for DNA analysis.
- Search teams identified a crocodile with a distended stomach, obtained permission to euthanise it, and had Captain Johan “Pottie” Potgieter secure the carcass from a helicopter for an airlift to Kruger National Park.
- Police say the missing man’s Ford Ranger was found on a flooded low-lying bridge days earlier, and they suspect the recovered remains may be his as they await lab results.
- Examination of the crocodile uncovered multiple pairs of shoes along with partial human remains, and police cautioned that any link to other victims remains unproven pending forensic work.
- Officials warned residents to avoid the hazardous Komati River crossing during high water, noting prior fatalities at the same bridge and saying plans for the site are under review.