Horror as retired couple dumped in river after being stabbed to death | World | News

A retired couple were dumped in a crocodile-infested river after being stabbed to death. A manhunt was launched last Thursday (May 21) after the tourists were murdered with police fearing they ran into poachers.

Ernst Marais, 71, and his 73-year-old wife, Dina, were killed at the famous Kruger National Park in South Africa. They vanished on Wednesday and were reported missing after failing to return to their accomodation. Their bodies were then spotted floating in a river by a group of tourists on Friday morning. It is believed they had been stabbed in the upper body before having their hands tied behind their backs and dragged into the River Limpopo.

As reported by The Sun, a source from the national park said: “They were in the river at Crook’s Corner which has a bit of a notorious reputation and when our rangers got to the scene they pulled the two bodies up onto the riverbank to wait for police.

“Both had been stabbed in what was clearly a very brutal attack and had been thrown into the river no doubt for the crocs and their 4 x 4 had been stolen so this is a very major incident for us.”

Meanwhile, an unidentified police source said the couple, who lived between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, may have run into a gang of poachers who killed them to prevent them raising the alarm. They confirmed that a manhunt is underway to find the killers.

The source said: “Their pick-up truck would have been an easy way to transport anything they were carrying if they were smugglers and there are unfenced ways to get across the river into Mozambique. A large manhunt is underway focusing on the assumption they are already out of the Kruger.”

Kruger National Park is one of the most well-known reserves in South Africa. It is visited by around one million tourists every year, with many from the UK and Europe,

Rey Thakhuli, a spokesman for the national park, said: “A search operation was launched on Thursday, 21 May 2026, evening, after Pafuri camp staff noticed that two tourists had not returned to camp.

“The search continued on Friday, 22 May 2026, leading to the gruesome discovery of two bodies near a river area which had been reported by other tourists and our park rangers were alerted.

“It is the first time in the history of the Kruger National Park that an incident of this nature has been reported. Everything is being done to track those responsible and bring them to justice.”

A South African Police Spokesman said: “We are investigating two counts of murder and one of hijacking, and at present we have made no arrests but are following up very strong leads”.

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Willie Aucamp said: “On behalf of SANParks and the department, we fully extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victims during this extremely difficult time and are doing all we can”.