By Obakeng Maje

The assistance of the Upington K9 unit was sought after attempts to find a 55 year old woman who went missing five days ago seemed futile.  Members of the Law Enforcement Municipality in Upington engaged the expertise of the police dog, Bobby and his handler Sgt Mitch Diedericks in an attempt to find Magrieta Gooi from Paballelo.

“According to police information, Gooi and her husband were last together on Friday at about 22:00” Lieutenant Sergio Kock said.  

They hitched a lift to visit family on one of the farms in Upington, however they were mistakenly dropped off at the gate of the wrong farm. 

Police said the couple sat under a tree and was drinking alcohol which they had carried with them. Due to their intoxicated state of mind, the husband wandered off in the dark without taking his wife with him. Magrieta Gooi then wandered off in a different direction.

“The next day, Magrieta found herself walking in a barren and dry land. She did not know where she was. The woman continued walking for five days without any food or drink. Her husband reported her missing the following day” police said.  

The couple were last together about 40km from Upington on the Namibia main road. 

A massive search was launched which included the air wing, trackers, members from SAPS Upington and lastly the search and rescue dogs.  

The search parties combed the area over six farms travelling on foot and vehicles over uninhabited and treacherous terrain. 

“The sand dunes and rocky areas slowed the search considerably.  The K9 dog, Bobby picked up the footprints(’ spoor’) of the missing woman and followed her scent for up to 105km’s on foot. At some point of the search, the air wing was called in to assist” Kock said.

On Wednesday at about 17:00 Magrieta was found alive by police. 

She was found near Areachap farms on the Askham main road. “When police found her, she was bare footed and had walked out of her shoes. She informed police that she did not know where she was and just continued walking” he said. 

Police and Rescue workers could not believe how she managed to survive, considering the terrain she trodded on.

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