Crocodile kills South African golfer

Crocodile kills South African golfer

Friday, December 5, 2014 11:56 am


Jacques van der Sandt: Killed by crocodile while looking for golf ball

Jacques van der Sandt: Killed by crocodile while looking for golf ball

A four-metre-long crocodile has killed a South African golfer who went to look for a golf ball inside a dam called Lake Panic in Kruger National Park, a park official said on Friday.

Deep sea diver Jacques van der Sandt, 29, was dragged under water by the crocodile at around 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) on Wednesday and was later found in the jaws of the reptile, which was killed in order to recover the body.

“It had him in his mouth and was swimming in the water with him,” Danie Pienaar, acting head of Kruger National Park, told 702 Talk Radio. “It was in the public area … we also don’t know if there is anything wrong with the crocodile,” he added, explaining the reasons for shooting the animal.

Local press reported Van der Sandt had been drinking in the clubhouse before he went looking for golf balls, jumping into the lake where there is a resident crocodile.

Oubaas Coetzer, a police officer, said the crocodile attacked van der Sandt while he was standing at waist height in the water and reaching below the surface to feel for golf balls on the bottom of the dam at about 10 p.m., reported the National Post.

“One guy challenged the other to see who can retrieve the most golf balls,” Coetzer said.

He described van der Sandt as a keen golfer who grew up in the park and had probably seen crocodiles in the dam in the past. The victim’s mother works for the park, and his father also worked at Kruger until his retirement.


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