Body hangs in tree for days before being discovered
The suspected suicide took place so high in the branches that the body remained undiscovered for some time.
Picture: Jannie du Plessis
On Tuesday, residents came across the grisly scene of a body hanging from a tree in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, reports the Vaal Weekblad.
The tree was in a small park bordering Euclid Street opposite the Frikker Meyer primary school.
The publication reports that the man must have taken his own life high up in the tree where it was difficult to see him. There the body is thought to have hung for three to five days.
A pedestrian passing by smelt something “awful” on Monday but could not trace the source of the stench. A domestic helper eventually spotted the man’s feet. The lower branches were cleared away and the body of a well-dressed man was discovered.
The police were called, the fire brigade came and a crowd of curious onlookers gathered as officials dealt with the scene wearing oxygen and dust masks.
The body was wrapped in bags and then lowered slowly, as the footage below shows.
A forensic investigation is under way to determine if there were any signs of foul play.
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