SAPS Launches Investigation into SUV Incident in Crocodile River After Recovery of Two Victims

NELSPRUIT, MPUMALANGA— A search operation resumed on Monday morning for a potential third victim after the SAPS Search and Rescue Team recovered two bodies from a submerged SUV in the Crocodile River near Kamagugu, Nelspruit.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the recovery operation took place on Sunday, 7 June 2026. Divers discovered a white SUV inside the river containing the bodies of a 20-year-old male and a female estimated to be between 18 and 23 years old. Police used specialised rescue equipment, including the Jaws of Life, to extract the deceased from the vehicle trapped in the water.

The search expanded after another family arrived at the scene as police prepared to leave. The family reported that their son was travelling in the white SUV, had not returned home, and could not be reached via his cellphone. SAPS Search and Rescue teams resumed the search at 09:00 on Monday morning to determine if the missing man is a third victim remains in the river.

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Family members positively identified the 20-year-old male victim at the scene. The female victim remains officially unidentified, though a local family has been located and is expected to assist police in determining whether the deceased is their daughter.

The South African Police Service has opened a case of culpable homicide to determine the cause of the vehicle entering the river. Investigations into the incident are ongoing, and authorities state that more details will be provided as they become available.

Proofreading by Tebogo Mokwena, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News