Missing man’s body recovered

A 73-YEAR-OLD man who went missing from his home in Chatsworth was found at the Phoenix Mortuary following an alleged hit-and-run accident in Merebank.

Patrick Kommireddi was last seen by his family on November 7 when he left his home to go to the Moorton Shopping Centre in Chatsworth.

His niece, Charlotte Ryan, said the family had been looking for him ever since.

“Every day, whoever was available looked for him. Whenever we heard that he may have been spotted somewhere, family members drove around the area trying to find him.

“We checked the hospitals, but we did not think of checking the morgue.

“We heard that he was seen at the Merebank shopping centre, so I sat there whenever I had the time, hoping to find him.”

Ryan said the family were filled with hope when a man told them he had spoken to her uncle.

“Unfortunately, this man had not known that my uncle was missing. He said my uncle’s wallet and shoes were stolen, so he gave him shoes and R20 to take a taxi home.

“It appears that on November 10, my uncle was knocked down near the old racecourse in Merebank.

“He was taken by ambulance to King Edward VIII Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Last Wednesday, my aunt went to the Phoenix mortuary to identify him,” said Ryan.

“I am glad that we found him, but not in this way. At least our family have some sort of closure now.”

Kommireddi’s funeral was held on Monday at Our Lady of Vailankanni Catholic Church in Chatsworth. From there proceedings moved to the Clare Estate Crematorium.

Constable Thenjiwe Ngcobo, a provincial police spokesperson, said Kommireddi was positively identified by his family at the Phoenix mortuary.

“It is alleged that he was knocked down by a vehicle at Merewent. A case of culpable homicide was opened at Wentworth SAPS for investigation,” said Ngcobo.

Kommireddi’s case has prompted Renegades Search and Rescue, a nonprofit organisation, to issue a warning to families with elderly members, especially during the festive season.

Dawn Gounden, a volunteer at Renegades Search and Rescue, said they had been dealing with an increasing number of elderly missing persons.

“We find that the elderly go missing because they cannot remember who they are, where they are going, or where they live. We don’t realise that they may be suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s.

“In Kommireddi’s case, he told the man who helped him that he was going to visit his sister in Montclair. But he does not have a sister who lives there.

And he didn’t have the capacity to remember how to get back home or where he lived.

“I think it’s important for the elderly to carry an identification card with their details and who to contact.

“Also, if you see an elderly person walking around, speak to them and request help from the police.”