A courageous police diver was lowered into a river infested with crocodiles to recover the body of a massive predator, suspected of consuming a missing individual.

Captain Johan “Pottie” Potgieter, a police captain from the diving unit in Mpumalanga, South Africa, was carefully lowered into the river in the northeastern region of the country.

The concern arose when human remains were discovered inside the crocodile, raising suspicions that they might belong to Gabriel Batista, a 59-year-old hotel owner. The worries began when Batista attempted to cross a flooded low-level bridge in Komatipoort, South Africa, last Monday.

As he tried to reach his hotel on the other side in his 4×4 Ford Ranger, the vehicle was swept over by strong currents, forcing Batista to exit and attempt to make his way to safety. Unfortunately, he was carried away by the river towards Mozambique, where crocodiles awaited.

The fate of Gabriel remains uncertain, as it is unclear whether he drowned before being attacked by a crocodile. The suspected crocodile was later euthanized, and further investigations are being conducted to determine the presence of Batista’s remains in other crocodiles.

Gabriel, a well-liked figure who owned the Border Country Inn and Sports Bar near the river, was the subject of intense search efforts. After the suspected crocodile was neutralized, a police commander, with a harness attached to the creature, was lifted hundreds of feet in the air to retrieve the carcass.

Upon examination in Kruger National Park, the crocodile’s abdomen was opened, revealing two arms, a partial rib cage, chest flesh, and a ring believed to belong to Gabriel. DNA testing is underway for confirmation.

Despite the discovery, none of the six shoes found inside the crocodile matched those of Gabriel. The Border Country Inn and Sports Bar spokesperson described Gabriel as a beloved family man and expressed the family’s distress over the situation.

The police dive team’s bravery, led by Captain Johan “Pottie” Potgieter, was commended for their efforts in retrieving the suspected predator. Through drone surveillance, they identified the specific crocodile believed to have consumed Batista, based on its behavior and location near the incident site.