Durban - Sergeant Collin Chetty and his partner, Ghost, discovered a shallow grave in Phoenix in which the body of a young boy was found on Monday.
Chetty and Ghost, members of the Durban K9 Search and Rescue Unit, along with Warrant Officer Cheryl Ellis were honoured by the community on Thursday at the interfaith prayer meeting at the same spot where the young boy’s body, believed to be that of missing Sydenham schoolboy Miguel Louw, was found on Monday.
Miguel went missing from his Rippon Road Primary school in July and police are awaiting the results of DNA tests to confirm whether it is his body.
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Pastor Mervin Reddy prays over Sergeant Collin Chetty, his partner Ghost, and Warrant Officer Cheryl Ellis from the K9 Search and Rescue Unit. The team discovered the body, believed to be Miguel Louw, on Monday. Video: Karinda Jagmohan
The discovery came as Chetty and Ghost were hunting down robbers in Phoenix. Ghost began sniffing at the ground, alerting his handlers to something more sinister beneath the earth.
The body was found metres away from the home of Miguel’s alleged kidnapper, Mohamed Vahed Ebrahim, who remains behind bars having failed to pay R2500 bail at the Durban Magistrate’s Court last week.
Sergeant Collin Chetty, his partner Ghost, and Warrant Officer Cheryl Ellis from the K9 Search and Rescue Unit. The team discovered the body, believed to be Miguel Louw, on Monday. Picture: Karinda Jagmohan
Addressing a small group of people from the community, Ellis said: “It’s an honour for us to be able to bring a boy to his final resting place. That place where he was discovered was a horrible site, and now that we have found his body, as a mother I feel emotional that we have a chance to take him to his resting place.”
Pastor Mervin Reddy said: “This is the gentleman together with his dog who protect the streets of Phoenix each and every day without hesitation.”
The community prayed over Chetty, Ellis and Ghost.
As Ghost scratched at a grass patch, Reddy said in prayer: “Lord may you send guardian angels to surround them, surround their vehicles, and surround Ghost as they keep our community safe. As they put their lives in the forefront to protect the lives of our community.”
Three years ago Chetty stumbled across a similar finding - the body of 9-year-old Shahiel Sewpujan in Clayfield.
Shahiel was killed by his aunt and grandmother in 2015. His decomposed body was found in a drain four days after he was reported missing. The relatives have since been sentenced to life imprisonment and 25 years respectively.
Sergeant Collin Chetty, his partner Ghost, and Warrant Officer Cheryl Ellis from the K9 Search and Rescue Unit. The team discovered the body, believed to be Miguel Louw, on Monday. Picture: Karinda Jagmohan
