Police have resorted to use drone and helicopter to search for missing man.
THE SEARCH and rescue team has resorted to using alternative methods to locate a businessman (59) believed to have been washed away in the Crocodile River in Komatipoort.
Mpumalanga police spokesman Colonel Mavela Masondo said a drone and a helicopter had been dispatched to search for the missing man.
He said the team wasn’t able to go into the river due to an infestation of crocodiles and hippos.
“It’s difficult for the search team to get inside the water because there’s an infestation of crocodiles and hippos. Our team is using a drone and a helicopter to search for the man. Once it gets dark, the search stops and will continue on the following day,” he said.
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According to police, the man was alone when he tried to drive his Ford Ranger bakkie across a low-lying bridge over the Komati River on Tuesday 28 April.
The vehicle became trapped in the rising water.
Police have resorted to use drone and helicopter to search for missing man.
Police have resorted to use drone and helicopter to search for missing man.
It’s suspected that the driver exited the vehicle and was then carried away by the strong current.
“Police were alerted to a vehicle stuck in the river and immediately dispatched the Search and Rescue Team. Upon arrival, officers found the Ford Ranger abandoned on the bridge with no occupant inside,” he said.
The incident occurred at the same river where two members of the South African National Defence Force were previously swept away in December 2025.