Johannesburg – A police helicopter has been deployed to assist in the ongoing search for a 26-year-old man, believed to be from Chartwell, who went missing on New Year’s Day while crossing over a pipeline on the Jukskei River, in the vicinity of Fourways.
An ongoing extensive search, launched on the morning of 2 January 2025, by the SA Police Service (SAPS) Water Policing and Diving Services, SAPS K9 Search and Rescue, Johannesburg Fire and Rescue Services aquatic rescue unit and Search and Rescue South Africa (SARZA) has found no trace of the man.
The NSRI has now been roped in to assist.
A police helicopter has also been brought in to help with the search.
Commenting on the matter on Monday, (6 January 2025), Gerhard Potgieter, the NSRI Gauteng station commander, said: “At 07:01, Sunday, (5 January 2025), NSRI Gauteng duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from the SAPS and SARZA”.
Potgieter said the man went missing at around 23:30, on the night of 1 January 2025, while crossing over a pipeline on the Jukskei River.
“Our NSRI Gauteng swift water rescue team joined in the search on Sunday morning, with NSRI Gauteng swift water rescuers divided into teams joining police, SARZA, and Fire and Rescue Services in the extensive ongoing search efforts along the Jukskei River and along the Klein Jukskei River searching in the directions of Fourways, Chartwell, Broadacres and Steyn City,” explained Potgieter.
“A Police helicopter has been deployed to assist in this ongoing search operation.”
Potgieter said 20 kilometers of river were covered on Sunday and “there remains no signs of the missing man”.
He added: “Thoughts, care, and compassion are with the families of the missing man in this difficult time”.
Police and emergency services are continuing in ongoing search efforts.
NSRI, police, and the emergency services appealed to the public not to cross low-lying bridges or roadways submerged by water on rivers swollen by heavy rainfalls that are being experienced in places around the country.
