Desperate search for missing dad

Published Sep 30, 2014

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Johannesburg - In the last conversation Herman Sauer had with his father-in-law, all he could say about his mental state was that his “depression was chasing him”.

A week later, he vanished from his Witpoortjie, Roodepoort, home, leaving a family terrified he might have committed suicide.

On September 20, Henriette Sauer woke up next to her husband of almost 33 years, happy with the notion it was going to be a normal, relaxed Saturday.

She and her adult daughter Simoné decided to go grocery shopping at about 9am, leaving Herman alone in the house.

From what she can piece together, Henriette believes her husband, who would often help with the chores around the house, began folding some laundry and tidying up the house. But, at some point in the middle of the chores, it seems he went to the couple’s medicine cupboard, full of new prescriptions of antidepressants, her heart medication and about 30 sleeping pills. Then he put the family’s dogs into the garden, locked the house and never returned.

He wasn’t there when she got home from the shops at about 3pm. Henriette phoned him through the afternoon but got no response. There was no sign of a struggle in the home, meaning Herman probably left of his own volition.

Anxiety mounting, her calls and messages becoming more desperate, Henriette thought she couldn’t go to the police till at least 24 hours had passed.

The following day, she discovered the empty medicine cabinet, and a missing person’s case was opened at Roodepoort police station.

Local residents began combing the nearby stretches of veld.

A Facebook campaign to find Herman turned up a possible lead. Someone who looked like the father-of-two was spotted in Mookgophong, Limpopo.

At first, Henriette felt angry that her he may simply have run off for seemingly no reason, but this was eclipsed by relief that he was still alive.

Police officers found that the man believed to be Herman was a family man on holiday.

This opened a floodgate of emotion for Henriette and her two daughters, whose hopes had once again been dashed. Henriette has tried to remain strong until she knows her husband’s whereabouts.

While Henriette believes he may have made a suicide attempt, she is praying her husband, or someone who has seen him, reads the following message: “Please come home. We need you. We miss you and we love you. You will always be welcome in our home, we just want you back.”

Henriette said Herman had long battled with depression, but it had never been a truly frightening issue until he lost his job last year.

He soon began a descent into alcoholism that resulted in a possible suicide attempt in January, when he took an overdose of anti-anxiety pills.

A Good Samaritan found him unconscious in the street and rushed him to hospital, and from there he booked himself into a rehab centre.

The past few months had been less tumultuous for the family, with Henriette’s hopes restored that her husband had started to turn his life around.

With his disappearance, Henriette has turned to her fellow South Africans to help find her husband.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts can contact the Roodepoort police station on 011 279 6400 or Henriette on 084 509 3046.

Where to find help:

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) has spent its entire existence trying to raise awareness around depression and how to treat the disorder.

“Depression affects people of both sexes and all races, cultures and social classes. It is estimated that 20 percent of the population may suffer from major depression during the course of their lives,” the organisation says in its numerous brochures.

“When the (emotional) ‘down’ times are long-lasting or interfere with an individual’s ability to function at home or at work, that person may be suffering from a common, serious illness - depression.”

According to Sadag, treatment and psychological assistance can alleviate the symptoms in more than 80 percent of cases.

For advice, contact Sadag on 011 234 4837, or its emergency hotline on 0800 567 567, or visit its website: www.sadag.org

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