The remains found inside a crocodile in the Komati River, South Africa, on May 2nd, belong to the Portuguese businessman Gabriel Batista, a source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Lusa today.
South African authorities have identified the Portuguese citizen, in his fifties, found dead in the Komati River, in Mpumalanga province, a source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE) told Lusa in writing.
“Initial forensic tests point to the identification of the Portuguese national’s DNA. The specific circumstances surrounding the tragic event remain unclear,” he indicated, adding that the Portuguese government is monitoring the case.
Police in Mpumalanga were awaiting the results of DNA tests to identify partial human remains found inside a crocodile, South African news outlet SABC News reported on May 3rd.
Police suspected the remains were those of Portuguese businessman Gabriel Batista, 59, who owned a hotel in Gauteng.
Gabriel Batista had been missing since April 27th, when he tried to cross a low bridge that was flooded by the river in his car; the vehicle was found the following day.
After nearly a week of searching, the police Search and Rescue Unit – with the help of the South African National Parks company (SanParks) and a private security firm – found the partially human remains inside a crocodile.
The crocodile, which was about 60 meters from where the businessman’s vehicle became stuck, was shot dead.
Captain Pottie Potgieter, from the provincial police diving unit, says they had been monitoring the animal for several days.
“We spotted the crocodiles in the same location for the past four days. After they left, we continued with the drones and found the crocodiles still in the same spot. So, with our experience and training, we identified a crocodile there that we were basically 100% certain had eaten the man we were looking for. When we performed the autopsy on the crocodile, we found about six sets [of remains] from different people. And the flip-flops that the people were wearing were also inside the crocodile’s stomach,” explained Potgieter.
Inside the animal, a ring with the name “Gabriel Batista” was also found, which allowed one to understand, from the outset, the fate of the Portuguese citizen.
The family of the missing Portuguese businessman was present throughout the search, the South African media reported.