Oudtshoorn police have opened an inquest docket after the body of a woman was discovered in a canal this week. The deceased has since been identified as 39-year-old Janine Stander, who was reported missing last week.
According to police, Stander was last seen on Tuesday, 16 September, when she left a premises in High Street, Oudtshoorn. She never returned home, and two days later, on Thursday, 18 September, her family reported her missing.
A large-scale search operation was immediately launched, drawing on several specialised units. Police divers, the K9 unit, EMS Search and Rescue, Oudtshoorn Pathology Services, as well as a number of local search and rescue crews were all deployed in the effort to trace her whereabouts.
Despite the intensive search, it was a member of the public who eventually spotted a body floating in a canal on Tuesday morning at about 10:00.
Police divers were called to the scene and retrieved the body from the water. Authorities later confirmed the deceased as missing Stander.
Police have confirmed that a post-mortem will be conducted later this week to establish the cause of death.
The outcome of the examination will form part of the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and subsequent death.
Garden Route District Commissioner, Major General Phumzile Cetyana, thanked all the role-players who were part of the search party, as well as the public, for their assistance during the search.
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