George Herald

Body found in mountain still not identified

- Kristy Kolberg

The body of a man who was found in the Outeniqua Mountains on Tuesday 23 August is still to be identified and police are hoping that next of kin will come forward.

There are also no recent reports of a missing person that fit the descriptio­n of the deceased.

The unidentifi­ed body was found by a group of hikers next to a river near the Tonnelbos trail. It is believed to have been lying there for about two to three weeks before discovery, and identifica­tion is hampered by the advanced stage of decomposit­ion.

The incident was also confirmed in a media statement by Keep Our Forests Safe (Kofs) after the recovery.

“Greystorm Tactical responded to try and ascertain the exact circumstan­ces of the situation. Due to the nature of how high up the mountain this trail is, and the time of day, they decided to discontinu­e the search and contact Metro Emergency Services,” said the statement.

Police and other emergency services also responded to the scene and the body was airlifted from the mountain on Wednesday 24 August. The body is described as that of a coloured male with a tattoo of a dragon on his right arm and a tattoo of an animal head in his neck. He was wearing a tracksuit, jacket and takkies when he was found.

According to Southern Cape police spokespers­on Sgt Chris Spies, details surroundin­g the death of the man are being investigat­ed.

“We urge the public to come forward with any informatio­n that could assist with the identifica­tion of the deceased,” he said.

Please contact the investigat­ing officer, Sgt John Boezak at George Detectives, on 044 803 4714 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

 ?? ?? The area where the body was found.
The area where the body was found.

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