South African police have retrieved human remains from inside a crocodile suspected of eating a man. The operation was carried out under extreme conditions, with Captain Johan Potgieter lowered from a helicopter into a river to secure the animal.
The crocodile, measuring 4.5 meters, was suspected of killing a man who was swept from his car while crossing a flooded bridge last week. The animal was already dead when it was airlifted, allowing authorities to recover the remains.
Potgieter described the operation as unprecedented in his four-decade career. "There's really no way to prepare," he told the BBC. Other dangerous animals, including hippos and additional crocodiles, were in the area but were scared away by the helicopter's noise and downdraft.
The remains have been sent for DNA analysis to confirm the victim's identity.