A courageous police diver descended into a river infested with crocodiles to recover the body of a massive 15-foot crocodile suspected of consuming a missing man.
Captain Johan “Pottie” Potgieter, a police captain from the Mpumalanga diving unit of the South African police service, was lowered into the river in the northeastern part of the country.
The human remains discovered inside the crocodile are believed to belong to Gabriel Batista, a 59-year-old hotel owner who went missing after attempting to cross a flooded low-level bridge in Komatipoort, South Africa.
It is suspected that after his vehicle was swept off the bridge, Mr. Batista tried to escape by wading through the rising river but was carried downstream toward Mozambique where crocodiles awaited.
The fate of Gabriel, whether he drowned before being consumed by a crocodile, remains uncertain. Following the shooting of the crocodile, further investigations are being conducted to determine if his remains are within other crocodiles.
Gabriel, the respected owner of the Border Country Inn and Sports Bar near the flood-prone river, is believed to have been devoured by the crocodile that was eventually shot and removed for examination.
Dramatic footage captured the brave police commander being lifted hundreds of feet in the air while attached to the suspected man-eating crocodile to retrieve its carcass.
Upon examination at Kruger National Park, the crocodile’s belly was opened, revealing two severed arms with hands, part of a rib cage, and chest flesh. A ring suspected to belong to Gabriel was found on one of the fingers, and DNA testing is underway.
Although none of the six shoes found in the crocodile belonged to Gabriel, his family is awaiting the DNA results before making any statements.
Captain Johan “Pottie” Potgieter’s heroism and leadership in retrieving the crocodile were praised as he volunteered for the challenging task, based on his team’s suspicions regarding Mr. Batista’s fate.
Detailing the drone surveillance and identification process of the crocodile that consumed the man, Capt. Potgieter stated that the particular crocodile showed signs of recent feeding, leading them to believe it was responsible for the attack.
