Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Scott Van Zyl SS Pro Safaris Has Gone Missing

I don't have the whole story, but got an email from Sure' Scott's wife last night went missing in Zimbabwe on Thursday. Obviously there are lots' of concerns about this. Not positive why he was there but know he was looking at opening more area out side of So. Africa. He had his tracking dogs, and one didn't come back. There are supposed to be several searchers out looking for him. I heard last night that his back pack was found near (the? a?)River. I assume if they can follow well enough to find a back pack he owned they should be able to determine if he went on. Also heard there was speculation that a croc got him. Never been around them so don't know what kind of hunters they are. I've known Scott for several years and have hunted with him. Has anyone heard anything about this? Not sure how much of what I've heard is true, outside of he's missing. Prayers for the family and for him to be found. What is the weather now this time of year. I know he didn't always carry a gun when in the bush.

"I know he didn't always carry a gun when in the bush"

Wow...

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https://www.gofundme.com/search-rescue-scott-van-zyl




My understanding is the pack was spotted at the Limpopo via air search efforts, not by ground trackers.
and he was operating out from Chikwaraka Camp.

The story goes, he and his tracker split up to take dogs on separate leopard tracks.

Terrible news. Been following the story in the evenings from camp while hunting.

Here is a thread on another forum with about all that is really known about his disappearance:
https://www.africahunting.com/threa...-van-zyl-gone-missing-in-zimbabwe.37136/
The search efforts are being funded in a large part by the hunting community. You can donate here:
https://www.gofundme.com/search-rescue-scott-van-zyl
There are also updates posted there as well. He has been missing since last Fri..........
Bruce

I prayed for him when I heard about this. I am so sorry for his family until he returns alive.

Maybe I am a sissy boy, but I wouldn't go out of camp in Alaska without a gun.

Guns are handy in camp also . . .

Thought I'd post the latest. Scroll down and click on "read latest update". More prayers sent.
https://www.gofundme.com/search-rescue-scott-van-zyl

This is the latest update:

UPDATE #15: Evening everyone, herewith the latest update from the SAR team. The search has continued today focussing mostly on the river again. Here is a message received directly from the SAR co-ordinator: "Possible human remains found in crocodiles shot today by the Zimbabwe police. Samples have been sent to the lab to confirm, will send more details when we have the results."

I would like to emphasise the word "possible" as it was sent to confirm the DNA and only once the DNA is confirmed, will they know the details.

I would like to ask again, keep the family and their feelings in mind when commenting or sharing this until there's confirmation from the lab. This is just a possible scenario and not a fact at this stage.

Thank you for your consideration and understanding. Please keep the family in your prayers and thank you again for all your contributions. Without all your support, we would not have been able to get this far.
Help spread the word!

You do know the Gentleman is missing in Zimbabwe,Africa,right?

THANKS,Cj. Couldn't get it to copy and paste for nothing.

That's ok. I didn't like the message or printing it. But I guess it's better than never knowing. Family has got to be worrying big time. I know his brother is there looking as well. I just can't imagine getting news like this.

Ken now that is funny. I don't care who you are.

On a serious note,please keep us posted Cj. Hopefully Scott will be found alive and prayers for his family,they are going thru hell right now.

I'll keep everyone posted. I suspect it will be a while before we know still, DNA isn't a quick process and I suspect it's slower over there. Scott is a good friend, I've known him for several years, and hunted with him. Very capable fellow, can't imagine how this could happen, except I understand crocs can run upwards of 20 MPH on dry ground. Who knows maybe one came up behind him or more than one. Lots of questions that will probably never be answered.

UPDATE #16: Friday, 14 April 2017 - Feedback from the chairman at the Limpopo Hunters Liason Forum (LHLF) - Mr. Phillip Bronkhorst:

"Today exactly a week ago fellow PH, friend and family man Scott van Zyl went missing on the banks of the Limpopo River. The search and rescue team has done everything humanly possible to find Scott.

Lots of help and support was given by several organizations and individuals. We will not name all of them now but a list will follow shortly.

Since yesterday when POSSIBLE human remains was found, more searching was done today in the area. By around midday today general consensus was reached by the SAR team that they had done what was possible to find info on this puzzle and to find Scott. The SAR was called off for the moment BUT contact will be kept with locals, villagers and fisherman on both sides of the river to get more possible info from the locals on the ground.

A formal police investigation has been launched and each and everyone hope for a closure on this incident.
Please keep Sure, their 2 kids and all the family in your daily prayers and thoughts.

DNA testing on some of the content that was found in the stomachs of the crocodiles shot to verify if it is human or not will only be available in a couple weeks and up till then the uncertainty will remain and hope will prevail.

A full breakdown of total costs of this SAR is in process to be finalized and if you still want to donate please keep doing so. The funds generated now will be allocated towards Scott's family to cover any further immediate costs. Please also when sharing this message keep the info within the boundaries laid out by this message and do not trespass the boundaries of negative news sharing like we have experience the last couple days from several prominent news agencies."

Just damn,Cj. Something about losing a good friend to a violent death that cuts to the bone. I'm praying that this isn't the case here.

TTT

I see the account at "Go-Fund-Me" has shut down. Did GOOD though at over $40k.

I read on another site that DNA tests on the remains were a match to Scott.

RIP...

RIP and prayers for his family.

I'm still reading through stuff but one report from Solame de Villiers was: Evening everyone.. i am waiting on a final update from our LHLF president but this is what i do know to be a fact and confirmed by the SAR team; the part of the boot that was found in one of the crocodiles was indeed Scott's. The search wasn't completely called off, we still have people visiting the villages and people there to see if any new information has come to light after the pamphlets was distributed. We all know at this stage that DNA tests are being done on the remains found and I know we all wanted answers last week already. All we can do is still pray.

Update this morning on the Limpopo Outfitters Whatsapp Group.

Results of DNA on the possible human remains found in the stomach of the Crocodiles exterminated in the immediate area where the situation occurred has been confirmed by HPG.

At least the family now has closure and our thoughts and prayers for the family in this difficult time.


Regards,
Adriaan

This is indeed a sad outcome. The loss of Scott to our hunting community and family is huge. Prayers go out to his family.

If the fellow was unfortunate enough to be taken by a big lizard,
praying aint going to change his already determined fate or the DNA results.

And wouldn't it be better to pray that something bad doesn't happen before it happens ,
rather than praying after fearing something bad has likely happened?..why leave it so late?
wasn't your God there to help you even before one sets out for a day of mishap or tragedy?

Funny how people pray to God, but then say its the gun they carry out of camp
thats going to save their bacon. Rest assured a croc can be far quicker out of the water
than any man with a gun hanging around on the bank.




Or maybe the fellow became complacent and went too close to the waters edge, which is the overwhelming usual scenario.
as far as a gang of crocs running across a strip of dry ground at 20mph to come up behind a victim to get a feed....really?

Why do people so easily ignore sensible deductive logic scenarios in favor of bizarre speculation?
why can they not accept the likelyhood a human made a fatal mistake?....even highly experienced people make fatal errors,
prime example is PH Ian Gibson who pushed his luck to then get stomped by an elephant, despite warnings by his tracker
the bull was in musth. - Poor judgement and complacency can get anyone killed...nobody knows at which future moment
they may well make such a mistake.

I have you on ignore because you are a dipshit.

To rain on someone else's parade never seems to be my first reaction or inclination. I for one will pray that his family can work their way through their grief. It may never help; but, I know it will never hurt to do so.

May Scott RIP. As for the family let the healing begin.

Scott would have been 44 on May 12. Way to young to go. Thanks for the support.

LoL...you will still come back and read this anyway, so...

Well just keep in mind there a not really any smart crocs just negligent careless humans.
Crocs use the same old set play that the human species has been aware of for millennia.
For anyone who happens to get taken by a croc on a river bank,one has to wonder where
their mind was at, especially so when they are far from being just a naive tourist.

People get enthralled and excited by the potential dangers of Africa,some go there to chase
it and roll the die.Then some will even load the die in favor of the threats that surround them.
If thats how one wants to play the game,then be prepared to take what comes and accept it.
To family and friends it is a loss,to the rest of the world its just another cold statistic resulting
from the perils of life and something people should heed and keep in sensible perspective.

Sounded like a good man. Bet he was a good hunter,a friend to many and made a positive difference in this world. Died doing a job he enjoyed in the Africa he loved.

R. I. P.

You're such a smart bastard. Too bad you hadn't been there with him to show him all his flaws. I have no clue who Scott even was but may he RIP.

Mocking religious beliefs on a thread about someone dying is pretty classy.

An inane, idiotic post if there ever was one...

You are not the only one that has that Dolt on ignore

The ant I ran over this morning in my driveway has more character and wisdom then this clown.

LOL..Yet Jorge in his 'wisdom and judgement' considers alcoholics better people than pot smokers.
destructive drug abuse is acceptable as long as its a drug Jorge happens to like himself...inane is
the word jorge used I believe..




An adult who surely knows better but decides to stand on the bank of a croc infested river, well thats their businesss.
I'm fine with someone expressing their freewill by rolling the dice and fate taking its course. I don't get emotional like
the snowflakes here.

People are enchanted and lured by the danger of Africa and I've read for years on internet forums, hunting
safari company promos and book publications of the alpha-male tough image of pursuing and flirting with
the prospects of imminent danger...But then people become feeble and sensitive and have trouble dealing
with the fallout of cold hard reality when the game turns on those who choose to be careless and complacent.

Dipwits like to pat people on the back when they get it right and congratulate them, but fear to venture
into honest candid discussion when things go tragically wrong..infantile minds consider it a taboo subject.

To demonstrate how irrational and plain stupid people can be following a tragedy, one just need recall how
some could not bring themselves to admit that Tim Herald had a negilgent discharge with his rifle when he
shot his PH Stuart Taylor. Every belligerent sch*tbrain excuse was given by them in an attempt to cover up
the stark blatant sober truth of the matter. The same blinker fools surfaced with their belligerence when the
death of Ph Ian Gibson hit the forums...taboo subject.....Yet on other days they will personally attack forum
members incessantly , for the mistakes they dare to humbly admit to making in the hunting fields.



Obviously you believe you are entitled to that opinion, but have trouble with others having theirs.
not surprising, since the world has no shortage of hypocrites that hide behind their religion.

Whether a person has religious beliefs or not makes no difference to me. You have no idea what I believe or don't. Your post that I commented on was mocking and crass, but of course you can't admit it.

Guess we can add dope-smoker, LIAR and "spelling master" to your many other "attributes" mentioned here. Please refer to where I've said anything POSITIVE about an alcoholic, but yes, smoking dope is akin to smoking dick, take that first puff and no matter if you cure world hunger, I'm still going to call you a dicksucker..

I think you (and the rest of us) would be better off if you sucked on a Glock.

Starman has joined Stick on ignore.

Starman comes to the realization his penis is really a vagina...

Been here almost 10yrs and he's the first I've ever put on ignore. Never even considered anyone else in all that time.

You folks need more compassion for each other. Scott Van Zyl was a friend to several we know and his death is a tragedy.

I have seen some really smarmy comments by non-hunters and idiots on social media about his being missing, rooting for the crocs and making other puerile remarks. We don't need that here.

BTW, when I was hunting in Zambia a while ago, we walked through a muddy patch and my PH pointed out some big croc tracks. He said that they were made by around a 13-footer.

He also said that if one that size wanted you, it could catch you and you'd have no chance at all of getting away. Something to think about.

People talk of God and prayers in one breathe, then start a bizarre nonsensical rant about their homosexual thoughts in the next, neither of which have anything to do with a croc fatality.
But dare to talk about the actual thread topic and people get all unhinged and upset.

If people don't like the raw aspects of such human error fatalities being discussed, better not to read them or even start threads about them.




In the months Ive spent deep in prime croc country with natives and white locals on the land none of them ever put that kind of worry into me...the message from all of them was
the same uncomplicated common-sense " stay away from waters edge"..never any talk about being chased-down by a croc or crocs across the land, then I see here people
being quick to suggest that was the scenario in the fatality.

You are likely to get a spiced up version of reality from people you hired to host and entertain you at the camp at night or during the boring uneventful parts of your hunting day.
goes along with all the other nonsense anticipation hype talk of black mambas and DG charges. Nobody would do that unless they thought a client was an impressionable idiot
to begin with. Same type of juvenile minded people that get thrills out of reading chronic dysfunctional alcoholic Crapstick stories.

BULLSHIT