Members of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) was forced to remove the body of a female from a suicide scene after locals were concerned that the water was rising rapidly.
The RUSA Operations Center received the call of a suicide near Cottonlands – KZN after a man searching for a lost cow found a female hanging on a branch meters from a river bank.
Reaction Officers got to the area and abandoned their vehicles and continued the search on foot. The South African Police Services (SAPS) from Verulam – KZN was also in attendance. Police Officers & Reaction Officers eventually located the scene and had to cross a river to the victim who was hanging from a nylon rope.
When the community and family was interviewed it was established the the woman was on depression medication. The mother of four left this morning informing her family that she was headed into the woods. She had suffered a history of mental illnesses & had recently refused to take her medication. The community became concerned that the river was rising rapidly due to release of water from the Hazelmere Dam further upstream.
When no foul play was suspected, Police & Reaction Officers opted on removing the body hastily across the river.
