AFTER five days of intense but fruitless searching for the body of a man reportedly taken by a hippo at Lake Mzingazi, the search was likely to be called off on Monday afternoon, unless other information came to light.
An elderly female witness told police she had seen the man laying gill nets from a boat on the Madlanzini side of the lake on Wednesday evening when four hippos appeared and he was attacked by one.
Police Search and Rescue divers immediately initiated a search and an SAPS helicopter from Durban flew in to assist on Friday.
Officials on the scene did confirm they spotted a female, male and calf in the water near the area the man was last seen.
Frans Mthembu of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife said cattle herders also saw the hippos, but said they did not witness any attack.
‘The fact no person has been reported missing until now – and all of the fishermen in the area are well known – might mean the gogo was mistaken in what she saw, or that the man came in from another area,’ said Mthembu.
‘The lake is shallow and even with the cold water over the weekend the body should have surfaced by now.’
