Eveline de Klerk
Walvis Bay-Namibian Police Force (NamPol) crime coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, has expressed concern over the wellbeing of a 37-year-old Senegalese tourist, who went missing two days ago in the Erongo region.
Iikuyu during the weekend crime briefing indicated that NamPol’s air wing has been deployed for a search and rescue mission for Mark Mokosho, a Senegalese national currently residing in America who went missing in the vicinity of Klein Brandberg near Uis on Saturday.
Mokosho rented a Ford Ranger belonging to Namibia Car Rentals. He drove the vehicle to the Uis area where he went mountain hiking.
Deputy Commissioner Iikuyu said it is suspected at this stage the man got lost.
A worried Iikuyu yesterday told New Era that the Senegalese tourist was last seen next to the gravel road leading to Xoboxobos, where he had parked his rented vehicle on Friday morning.
According to Iikuyu, Mokosho was last seen walking towards the Klein Brandberg where he started his hiking adventure.
People in the area during the evening realised he did not return, as the vehicle was still parked on the same spot and they notified the police in the area. Iikuyu, said the police launched a search party on Friday night but Mokosho was not found.
“A second search attempt was also launched on Saturday but he was still not found. So, we called in the assistance of the special reserve force and a helicopter,” Iikuyu told New Era yesterday.
Iikuyu is appealing to residents in the area to assist the police to locate the tourist and to report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.
“Time is running out and we need to act as fast as possible to locate the tourist,” he said yesterday.