Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Search for missing tourist in national park called off

It is more than three weeks since the disappearance of a South African tourist in the Chobe National Park but so far his whereabouts remain unknown.

Police say they have now extended their search to neighbouring countries.

From Kasane, it is reported that the search team that was formed to track the missing man, South African Cliften Bullen, has been called off.

The search team says there are no leads and chances that he might have been killed by wild animals are very high.

“We have not yet found the missing tourist,” said the Public Relations Officer of the Botswana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner Christopher Mbulawa.

He said it is not true that the search team had been called off.

“The search team will not be called off until we have found him,” he promised.

When asked whether they suspect that the missing tourist might have been killed by animals, he replied, “We will come to that conclusion if we find his body but as for now we believe that he is still alive.”

Mbulawa said they have extended their search to neighbouring countries of Namibia, Zambia as well as Zimbabwe.

He appealed to the members of the public to assist them with information that might lead them to the missing man.

“We searched ever since the case was reported to the police but no leads to his whereabouts have been received,” said some search team members who did not want to be identified.

They said that once a person disappears in the park for about two days, chances for survival are very slim, especially when the person is far from the road within in the park.

They further said the helicopter had searched everywhere in the park but came up with nothing.
They queried how possible is it that the tourist could have crossed the Chobe River if the officials say they had extended their search to neighbouring countries.

“It is not possible that he could have crossed the Chobe River therefore he is within Botswana not in neighbouring countries,” they argued.

The missing tourist went missing more than three weeks ago when the vehicle that he was traveling in got stuck in the park.

Using a Global Positioning System, he left his vehicle and went out in search of assistance but never returned to the car.

His wife was found by other tourists who took her to the police where a docket was opened.

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