The search for 36-year-old Gauteng resident Timothy van Asche, who was reported missing earlier this week, has ended in tragedy.
Search for Timothy van Asche ends in tragedy: Here’s what we know
His body was recovered from the Hennops River on Thursday morning, approximately two kilometres from where his vehicle was discovered days earlier.
Van Asche was last seen on CCTV footage leaving his home in the early hours of Monday morning, driving his Mitsubishi SUV.
The last known communication with him occurred on Sunday evening at 21:10.
His vehicle was located on Monday morning at 09:48 near the Hennops River, prompting an extensive search operation.
According to Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo, the operation to locate Van Asche spanned several days and involved a variety of resources and teams.
The search continued until Thursday morning when authorities were alerted by a member of the public to the presence of a body floating in the river.
Van Asche’s body was retrieved at approximately 09:30 on Thursday.
Police have opened an inquest docket to investigate the circumstances surrounding Van Asche’s death.
It remains unclear how he ended up in the river, but authorities are exploring all possibilities as they piece together the events leading up to his death.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), which participated in the search efforts, confirmed the location of Van Asche’s body and expressed condolences to his family.
In a brief statement, Van Asche’s family expressed their grief:
“It is with great sadness that we share an update that Tim’s body was found at about 09h30 this morning (Thursday 23 Jan) in the Hennops River following a car accident. Condolences to all family and friends.”
The recovery of Van Asche’s body brings a heartbreaking conclusion to the search, though questions remain about the circumstances of his disappearance and death.
