A distressed farm worker may have committed suicide by wading into a crocodile-infested river, police in South Africa said today.
Detectives believe labourer David Lubisi, 40, was eaten alive after he entered the Lepelle river following an argument with his girlfriend.
The father-of-three has not been seen for more than a week after apparently telling a colleague about his painful plan on April 7.
Sergeant Malesela Makgopa today said officers believed Mr Lubisi had died in a bizarre case of suicide.
He said: 'The man has not been seen since the incident and his body has not been found.
'Our investigations have revealed that at around 7pm on April 7 he told a co-worker he wanted to walk into the river, which he knew to be infested with crocodiles.
'He was last seen heading towards the water and never turned up after that.
'We believe he may have been having domestic problems with his girlfriend and that he wanted to commit suicide.
'If that is true then it was a particularly horrible and painful way to die.' Police said the local community had been shattered by the apparent tragedy, which happened near the town of Bushbuckbridge close to the famous Kruger National Park in South Africa's eastern Mpumalanga province.
Before his disappearance Mr Lubisi had worked in the area for five years as a labourer at a game farm.
The country's Sowetan newspaper today reported that the owner of a neighbouring property reported seeing a crocodile with a human leg protruding from its mouth four days after the incident.
The publication also published claims from relatives of the victim that he may have been forced into the water.
Mr Lubisi's sister Esther told the newspaper she believed her brother would never have committed suicide and must have been pushed into the river.
Today Sergeant Makgopa said detectives had so far been unable to rule out foul play as the missing man's body had not been found.
But the officer added that detectives currently had no reason to suspect anyone else was involved.
He said: 'We are aware of claims that the man was forced into the water or pushed into the river.
'So far we have not ruled out foul play for certain, but neither do we have any reason to believe anyone else was involved.
'An inquest has been opened and we will continue to investigate the circumstances of what happened.'
Officials said the missing man was a devout Christian who had been a member of the Zion Christian Church whose adherents usually refrain from drinking alcohol.
However Sergeant Makgopa said officers were investigating reports he could have been drunk on the night of his disappearance.
Mr Lubisi's employer Jesper Kehlet contacted police after being informed of the apparent tragedy.
The investigation was continuing today.
The Lepelle river is one of the major waterways of South Africa's Kruger National Park game reserve.
It was officially renamed recently and was formerly known as the Olifants, named by Afrikaner farmers after the elephants which can commonly be seen drinking from its banks.
The river rises on South Africa's highveld plateau and runs eastwards, crossing Mozambique before joining the Indian Ocean.
Although the Lepelle is responsible for supplying millions of people with water it is feared among most locals for the presence of crocodiles.
The deadly reptiles are known to live in many African rivers, streams and lakes.
They can lurk unseen beneath the waters before striking suddenly to claim their prey.
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