The daughters of a missing retired teacher said they don’t suspect any foul play after his body was recovered in Newlands Forest by a search and rescue team.
Dhananjaya Naidoo, 66, who was a teacher at Rylands High School, was last seen on Saturday, 16 November, around 4pm when he went for a walk in the Newlands Forest.
His vehicle was found in Newlands Forest but there was no sign of him.
A frantic search by the police, Wilderness Search And Rescue Western Cape (WSAR), friends, and family took place over the weekend.
On Wednesday, his body was found.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said Claremont police opened an inquest docket for further investigation.
Twigg says: “The missing person was found (on) 20 November 2024 on the contour path in Newlands Forest. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death.”
WSAR spokesperson Johann Marais confirmed the body was found by people from their organisation who were following up a lead of the missing person.
In a statement Naidoo’s daughters said: “The medical report indicates he passed away from a heart attack that took place over a short three-minute period.
“He was found in a good condition with a slight smile on his face. It is likely that he knelt down to rest and slowly touched the ground around 5PM on Saturday, 16 November. There was no bodily harm.
“We are at peace knowing that he left this world doing what he loved - walking the mountain.”