Reagan Fredericks, whose body was recovered from the Keyser River canal last month, was finally laid to rest in an emotional funeral service at the weekend.
Family and friends bade a final farewell to Fredericks on Saturday. His body was found five days after his disappearance, in the Keyser River on June 14.
A family spokesperson said they were relieved they could finally put their brother to rest after such a traumatic time.
“Everything is done now and my brother is now at peace. We buried him on Saturday. Everyone felt relieved because after a month we could now put him to rest. All our work is done now.
“The police failed us, everyone failed us.
“We had to step up and fetch our brother ourselves in the river.
“But now we have him and and we have laid him to rest and he is resting peacefully, ” the family spokesperson said.
The 30-year-old is believed to have jumped into the river with a friend after being accused of stealing from a business premises in Steenberg.
Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi, said community members had chased the pair and in the heat of the moment they jumped into a river near the corner of Military and Flora roads.
“One of the suspects managed to get across the river while the second suspect swam under the bridge, and once on the other side he went down into the water and didn’t resurface again,” he said.
Swartbooi said a search had ensued on the river banks and along the side of the river for Fredericks.
He said the body was later recovered with the assistance of the community who helped with the rescue operation.
Cape Times