Police divers in Mpumalanga are continuing the search for a 59-year-old man who was swept away while attempting to cross the Komati River near Komatipoort.
According to police spokesperson Mavela Masondo, the incident occurred on Monday night after heavy rains caused a low-lying bridge to become submerged.
Masondo said the man’s vehicle became stuck in the river as he attempted to cross. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found the vehicle abandoned with no sign of the driver.
“They found that there was no one inside the car, but the car was still stuck. A search was conducted, but no one was found. The vehicle was later removed from the river,” Masondo said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the car belongs to a 59-year-old man from Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng. Police believe he was alone at the time of the incident.
“It is suspected that he may have exited the vehicle in an attempt to escape after it became stuck,” Masondo added.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing.