Massive search for missing ranger

Lloyd Ndemo

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has launched a massive search for a missing ranger who was in a Cessna 182 light aircraft that went down along the Zambezi valley on Friday.

Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo said they have deployed a team of 25 special rangers on the ground to try and find leads of the missing ranger who was aboard the aircraft which crashed.

“We have deployed 25 rangers on the ground, four planes which are hovering around the area to try and find him and dozens of sniffer dogs so that we can find one of our officers and we are also working with our colleagues from Zambia.”

The aircraft crashed on Friday when parks officers were on a game survey around Manna pools area.

Mr Farawo said they only started investigations on Saturday morning because they had assumed that the crew had decided not to fly in the evening.

“On Saturday the following morning people got worried because initially they thought the crew saw it unfit to fly because it was a bit late since the game survey was supposed to be done around 3 and 5 pm. After that it means the plane would not fly.

On Sunday that’s when we discovered the wreckage and unfortunately one person was found dead while two were seriously injured and the fourth one is missing.”

Mr Farawo said they are investigating the cause of the accident and he applauded the conservation partners whom he said are being supportive in the search for the missing ranger.

“We are still investigating what might have caused the accident. The aircraft had two Zimbabweans and the other two were South Africans.”