NELSPRUIT – DNA tests will be conducted after human remains were found inside the intestines of a crocodile in the Komati River in the Komatipoort area.

The tests will establish if the human remains are those of a businessman who was reported missing after his Ford Ranger was found trapped on a low-lying bridge over the Komati River, says Colonel Mavela Masondo, police spokesperson, in a statement on 2 May.

Following a week-long search for the missing businessman, the team identified a crocodile on the riverbank that was suspected to have attacked the missing person.

The necessary permission was obtained to euthanise the crocodile, after which human remains were found in its intestines.

The team comprised members of the Search and Rescue Unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS), National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoint), South African National Parks, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Securecon, and Port Management Committee.

The acting provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has commended the team that worked tirelessly, in difficult and dangerous conditions, to find the missing person.

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