HILLCREST — A complex Hillcrest body recovery operation has concluded after specialized search teams located the remains of a 74-year-old woman who had been missing for over two months. SAPS Durban Search and Rescue, alongside partner organizations, successfully retrieved the deceased from a rugged, inaccessible area near the Marrianhill Toll Plaza.
According to spokespersons for SAPS Durban Search and Rescue, the mission required navigating extremely dense bush and rocky mountainous terrain to reach the site. The primary team was heavily assisted by Durban K9 Search and Rescue and Search and Rescue South Africa (SARZA) during the call-out. The decomposed remains were initially spotted by a passerby in the Giba Gorge area, prompting the multi-agency response.
Officials and rescue unit spokespersons detailed the technical extraction process required for the difficult landscape. Due to the steep and unforgiving terrain, the team utilized a Rescue Stokes Basket to safely secure the remains. The basket was then carefully carried down the mountain to the roadside, where the recovery was formally handed over to members of the Hillcrest SAPS.
Spokespersons for the Hillcrest SAPS confirmed that the victim’s identity was positively identified by family members who were present at the scene. The deceased was confirmed to be the 74-year-old female who was originally reported missing on August 21, 2026.
Following the recovery and identification, an inquest docket has been officially registered at the Hillcrest Police Station. Investigators will now work to determine the exact circumstances and cause leading to the elderly woman’s death.
