Remains of Missing Businessman Found in Komati River Crocodile

Human remains believed to belong to a 59-year-old Gauteng businessman missing near Komatipoort, South Africa, were recovered from inside a 500-kilogram crocodile in the Komati River on Saturday, after a weeklong multi-agency search.

The businessman disappeared after his Ford Ranger became trapped on a flooded low-level bridge in the crocodile-infested river, located in Mpumalanga province near the Mozambique border and Kruger National Park. Authorities suspect he was swept away by strong currents during the incident, which occurred in early May.

A joint team from the South African Police Service Search and Rescue Unit, SANParks, NatJoints, Emergency Medical Services, Securecon, and the local port management committee monitored the area for several days using drones and helicopters. They identified a 4.5-meter crocodile about 150 meters from the bridge that exhibited unusual behavior, remaining stationary despite overhead noise and appearing unusually full.

Captain Johan Potgieter, a police diver, was lowered by SANParks helicopter into the river to retrieve the euthanized reptile, minimizing risks to other team members. Inside the crocodile's stomach and intestines, searchers...