{"id":69,"date":"2026-05-06T21:08:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T21:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=69"},"modified":"2026-05-06T21:08:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T21:08:59","slug":"officer-retrieves-crocodile-believed-to-have-eaten-missing-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=69","title":{"rendered":"Officer retrieves crocodile believed to have eaten missing man"},"content":{"rendered":"

A South African police officer has been praised for his extraordinary bravery after taking part in a high-risk operation to recover human remains from a crocodile believed to have attacked a missing man.<\/p>

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According to the South African Police Service, the incident began when a man disappeared while attempting to drive across a flooded low bridge. His vehicle became stranded in the rising water, and investigators later suspected he had been taken by a crocodile.<\/p>

Crew retrieves crocodile suspected of having eaten missing man<\/h2>
<\/div>

Big picture view:<\/p>

In a video released by officials, a police officer can be seen being hoisted from a helicopter out of the Komati River\u00a0with the crocodile suspected of having eaten the missing man.<\/p>

Authorities stated that the crocodile had already been euthanized prior to the aerial operation.\u00a0<\/p>

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

The operation followed the disappearance of a man whose car became stranded while attempting to cross a flooded low bridge. (Credit: South African Police Service via Storyful)<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

During the subsequent examination, officials discovered human remains inside the crocodile\u2019s intestines. The remains have been sent for DNA testing to confirm the identity.\u00a0<\/p>

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Police commend officer for his bravery<\/h2>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

Police commended the “extraordinary bravery and selflessness displayed by Captain Johan \u2018Pottie\u2019 Potgieter, whose actions are an example of the highest standards of service and dedication.”<\/p>

They added, “In a highly dangerous and complex operation along the Komati River, Captain Potgieter was hoisted from a SANPARKS helicopter into a crocodile-infested river, where he courageously secured a crocodile using a rope under extremely dangerous conditions.”\u00a0<\/p>

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Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane also praised the captain for his bravery.<\/p>

“Captain Potgieter\u2019s willingness to place his own life at risk, going far beyond the call of duty, reflects the unwavering commitment,” he said.<\/p>

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A South African officer was hoisted from a helicopter as he retrieved a crocodile suspected of having eaten a missing man.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,26,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-wild-nature","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\nOfficer retrieves crocodile believed to have eaten missing man - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=69\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Officer retrieves crocodile believed to have eaten missing man - 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