In a dramatic operation in South Africa, a police officer was lowered from a helicopter into a crocodile-infested river to retrieve human remains believed to be those of a businessman swept away by floodwaters last week.
The reptile suspected of eating the missing man had already been killed, but Captain Johan "Pottie" Potgieter, commander of a police diving unit, described the mission as nerve-wracking. "The sharp-end of a crocodile is not the best place to approach it," he told News24.
After securing the massive crocodile with a rope, Potgieter and the animal were hoisted away from the Komati River in northeast South Africa. The crocodile, measuring 4.5 meters (15 feet) and weighing 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds), was flown to Kruger National Park, where human remains were found in its intestines. DNA tests will confirm if they belong to the missing businessman.
The search began after the man's car became stranded on a low bridge in the flooded river. By the time police arrived, the vehicle was empty, leading them to believe he had been swept away, said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo.
Authorities used drones and helicopters in the search, spotting a small island with crocodiles basking in the sun. Potgieter noted that one crocodile appeared to have recently eaten. "Besides having a massively full tummy, he didn't move around or try to slip into the river despite the noise of the drones and the chopper," he recounted.
Potgieter also mentioned that six types of shoes were found inside the crocodile, suggesting it may have killed others, but he cautioned that "a crocodile will eat or swallow anything."
The acting national police chief, Lt-Gen Puleng Dimpane, praised Potgieter for his bravery, calling the operation highly dangerous and complex.