Oudtshoorn Farmer Saag Jonker Found Dead After Floods Swept Bakkie Into River
- Sagaria "Saag" Jonker disappeared on Sunday, 27 September 2026, after floodwaters swept his Toyota Land Cruiser off a low-water bridge near Oudtshoorn
- Police divers and search teams spent three days combing the Olifants River before locating the vehicle roughly 300 metres from where it was swept away
- Jonker founded the Saag Jonker group in 1976 and was named Farmer of the Year in 2000
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WESTERN CAPE — The body of prominent Oudtshoorn ostrich farmer Sagaria "Saag" Jonker, 85, was recovered from the Olifants River on Tuesday, 30 September 2026, three days after floodwaters swept his Toyota Land Cruiser from a low-water bridge in the Rooiheuwel area, approximately 3km outside Oudtshoorn.
According to IOL, Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Christopher Spies confirmed that officers retrieved both the vehicle and the body at around 3pm on Tuesday. Divers located the Land Cruiser about 300 metres downstream from the crossing where it had been carried away.
Spies said an inquest had been opened and that a post-mortem examination was expected later in the week to establish the official cause of death.
Search teams comb river for three days
Jonker had been completing his customary Sunday morning farm rounds on 27 September when he attempted to cross the bridge at roughly 12:50pm. The Olifants River was running in full flood at the time, swollen by heavy rainfall in its catchment area south of Beaufort West. A security guard stationed nearby and a woman living close to the river both witnessed the brown Land Cruiser being swept off the bridge and alerted emergency services.
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Over the following three days, police divers, K9 search and rescue teams, an AMS helicopter, drone operators, local officers, the Oudtshoorn fire department, farmers and volunteers conducted an extensive search of the river and its banks.
The Jonker family confirmed his death on Tuesday evening.
"Though our hearts are very sore, there is also a great sense of gratitude and acceptance that we found him, that we can now bring him home, and that we as a family can say a proper goodbye to him," the family said in a statement.
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A legacy built over five decades
Jonker established the Saag Jonker group in 1976, building a modest operation into a business spanning the farming, processing and export of ostrich products from the Klein Karoo to international markets. The Agricultural Writers' Association of South Africa recognised him as Farmer of the Year in 2000.
Missing man's body recovered in Lotus river
Briefly News also reported that a body was recovered near the Lourens River in the Helderberg Marine Protected Area on Thursday, 3 September 2026. Two colleagues aged 22 and 39 were swept away by rip currents at Strand Beach while attempting to rescue a fellow worker. Authorities believe the deceased is likely the 39-year-old man from Mfuleni in Blue Downs who went missing the previous day. His identity was not yet been formally confirmed, and police and forensic officials were working alongside his family as that process continues.
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Source: Briefly News
