Extraordinary images have emerged showing South African police airlifting a massive crocodile suspected of having eaten a man in the bush. The dramatic operation took place in Mpumalanga province on Saturday.
Daring Rescue Mission
Captain Johan "Pottie" Potgieter, a member of the national police force's diving unit, was lowered from a helicopter to secure the 500kg reptile from the banks of the Komati River. He told News24: "The sharp end of a crocodile is not the best place to approach it."
The 15ft crocodile was believed to have ingested the remains of a 59-year-old man who vanished after being swept away by floods last week. Body parts and shoes were found inside the animal, though the remains have yet to be identified.
Unprecedented Operation
Captain Potgieter described the mission as a first in his 38-year career. "This was definitely a first and hopefully it will also be the last time... there's really no way to prepare," he told the BBC. He added that his family were relieved to see him return safely, though they did not realise the danger until they saw footage online.
Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo told SABC that the missing resident disappeared after his car became stranded while trying to cross a bridge in the flooded river. Drones and helicopters were deployed in the search before authorities spotted several crocodiles on an island, one of which appeared to have recently eaten.
Potgieter explained that the reptile had been shot before he arrived, but it had shifted and started swimming upstream. Other crocodiles circled due to blood in the water until the helicopter scared them off. He only confirmed the animal was dead when lowered into the river to secure it.
"When I was hanging there, there was no way for me to communicate with the pilot," he said. "So irrespective of whether I changed my mind and decided not to do it, there was no way that that was going to happen."
The South African Police Service (SAPS) praised Potgieter's bravery, stating he carried out a "highly dangerous and complex operation" before both were flown away.
