By Palesa matlala
- Dina Marais, 73, and Ernst Marais, 71, disappeared during a trip to Kruger National Park before tourists found their bodies in a river.
- The couple’s missing bakkie has still not been found, forcing police to investigate whether they were hijacked inside the park.
A dream holiday turned into horror after an elderly couple from Mossel Bay were found dead in Kruger National Park.
Dina Marais, 73, and Ernst Marais, 71, disappeared after failing to return to their camp.
Their bodies were found floating near a river on Friday, 22 May.
Limpopo police have opened an investigation into the shocking deaths.
Police spokesperson Hlulani Mashaba said camp staff raised the alarm when the couple did not return to their accommodation on Thursday evening.
A major search operation started immediately.
Ground teams, rangers and a helicopter searched through the night and into Friday.
The gruesome discovery was made when tourists spotted two bodies near the river.
Rangers rushed to the scene and found that the couple’s vehicle was also missing.
The Marais couple entered the park on Sunday, 17 May.
According to reports, the couple was last seen alive on Wednesday morning at the Pafuri picnic site in the north of the park.
After that, nobody could contact them.
The couple also owned a property in a wildlife estate in Hoedspruit.
Investigators searched the property during the operation, but found nobody there.
South African National Parks spokesperson Reynold Thakuli said investigators first believed the couple’s bakkie may have been swept away during heavy rain and flooding.
But the vehicle has still not been found.
That has now forced police to widen the investigation to include possible hijacking.
“Many roads remained closed due to the weather, and we deployed aerial support to locate the vehicle, but our search yielded no results,” said Thakuli.
Forensic teams are still processing the scene while detectives search for clues.
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Willie Aucamp said the incident had shocked authorities.
“It is the first time in the history of the Kruger National Park that an incident of this nature has been reported,” said Aucamp.
Police have appealed to anyone with information about the missing vehicle or the deaths to come forward.
Pictured above: Police are investigating after Dina and Ernst Marais were found dead in Kruger National Park.
Image source: East Rand Crime Watch
