The police said it was a "highly dangerous and complex operation"

Police in South Africa have managed to recover human remains after an officer was lowered from a helicopter into a crocodile-infested river in the search for a businessman swept away by floodwater last week.

The reptile suspected to have eaten the missing man had already been killed but Captain Johan "Pottie" Potgieter said it was still a nerve-wracking experience.

After Potgieter had used a rope to secure the animal, both were hoisted away from the Komati River in the north-east of the country.

DNA tests will now be carried out to confirm if the remains are those of the missing man.

His car had become stranded attempting to cross a low bridge in the flooded river last week.…