No sign of missing Gqeberha mom as community assist in search

Dozens of Nelson Mandela Bay residents joined the seaside search for a Gqeberha mom at the weekend, answering the call from a local community security group to assist the family in getting to the bottom of her disappearance.

Friends, family, concerned residents and private security firms joined the search for Silvia Wittal along the popular Sacramento Trail, between Schoenmakerskop and Sardinia Bay, on Saturday morning.

The search was also extended further down the coast on Sunday.

Unfortunately, they came up empty-handed.

Family members who formed part of the search, as well as the organisers of the event, agreed that all search efforts were now labelled as “search and recovery” as the chances of rescuing Wittal alive were highly unlikely.

The 45-year-old mother of two was reported missing on January 2.

She had dropped her children off with her ex-husband on Thursday December 30, and when they returned to her Richmond Hill home the following Sunday, there was no sign of her.

Her silver Kia Picanto was later found in Schoenmakerskop, but nothing appeared to be missing from the car.

An extensive search involving the police, sea rescue personnel and family in the days following her disappearance yielded no results.

One of the organisers of the past weekend’s search, ALERT Watch chair and founder Louise van Rensburg, said they were pleased with the turnout of people willing to sacrifice their time to assist.

“We just want to help the family get closure,” Van Rensburg said.

“With a disappearance like this, the worst part for the family is often not knowing what happened to their loved one.

“We are hoping for a result, whether it is good news or bad news.”

Van Rensburg recently formed the ALERT Watch Sherwood and Surrounds Neighbourhood Watch group with the aim of assisting with searches of missing people around the Bay.

She said it was a platform for calling all concerned residents together to help their neighbours in difficult times, like the situation Wittal’s family was  now facing.

The crowd that gathered at Schoenmakerskop was divided into groups of about 10.

Each group was given a different section to cover, spread out along the Sacramento Trail, the rocks along the shoreline, adjacent bushy areas, and the coastline in the opposite direction towards Gqeberha.

Police officials and members of private security firm Dark Water Ops also joined the search.

Van Rensburg said their search parties came across bones, presumed to be animals remains, as well as a torn black T-shirt.

While there is no confirmation that this was related to Wittal’s disappearance, she said it would form part of the police’s ongoing investigation.

A close family member of Wittal, Margaret Nielsen, 67, said it was heart-warming to see the community come together to help their family.

“We are very grateful for everyone who went to the trouble of helping our search.

“The uncertainty of not knowing what happened to Sylvia is the worst part of her disappearance,” an emotional Nielsen said.

“This story has to have an ending. We all need closure.”

She described Wittal as a lovely person who lived for her children.

Van Rensburg said depending on the outcome of Sunday’s search efforts, they would consider calling on the community again if they felt combing the area another time, or widening the search, would yield better results.

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