Missing South African teacher found dead in Phnom Penh pool

The search for missing South African teacher Angelique Tong has ended in tragedy after her body was discovered following a swimming pool-related incident.

The 26 year old woman, who had been missing in Phnom Penh since September 29, was last seen on a dinner date with a man known only as Jack.

Friends launched an urgent appeal after the teacher, originally from Johannesburg, vanished after visiting Harry’s Bistro on Phnom Penh Riverside. She had reportedly spent the evening with Jack, a British man she had met just two weeks earlier, before going to the Hometown Hangout bar on Street 454.

Tong never returned home and her friends raised the alarm when she failed to show up for work on October 7. Days of frantic searching came to a devastating end when Tong’s body was located. A close friend confirmed the news in a heartbreaking social media post:

“Sadly, we have located Angel’s body. She passed away on September 29 in what appears to be a swimming pool-related incident. The family has been informed, and formal identification will take place this morning. Our thoughts are with them at this upsetting and difficult time. Thank you all for your help.”

Although details surrounding the incident remain unclear, it is believed that Angelique died on the night she disappeared. Her sudden death has left the local expat community in shock, as well as those who knew her from her teaching role at a Phnom Penh school.

Police have yet to release further information on the circumstances surrounding her death, reported Khmer Times.

ORIGINAL STORY: South African teacher vanishes in Cambodia after dinner date

The search is on for a young South African teacher who vanished without a trace in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh after a date with a British man known only as Jack.

The South African teacher, 26 year old Angelique Tong, was last seen on September 29 after a dinner at Harry’s Bistro, a popular riverside spot in the Cambodian capital. Tong, who had been living in Phnom Penh and working as a teacher at Smart Kids PP, met Jack, a British man, two weeks before her disappearance. Since that evening, she hasn’t been heard from, and her phone remains off.

Tong, who was scheduled to return to work yesterday, October 7, didn’t show up, leaving her colleagues and friends deeply concerned. A formal appeal for information has been issued as her disappearance enters its second week.

Described as having blonde hair, hazel eyes, and standing 1.58 metres tall, Angelique weighs around 50 kilogrammes and has a distinctive Khmer script tattoo on her right forearm.

Local police and Crest Hawk Investigations, who have taken on the case, are urging anyone with information to come forward.

“We’re working tirelessly to find Angelique and hope someone may have seen something,” said a spokesperson from the investigation team.

Tong’s last known companion, Jack, remains a mystery. Police are appealing for any information about him and his possible involvement in her disappearance, reported Khmer Times.

Anyone with details regarding Angelique’s whereabouts can contact Crest Hawk Investigations at +855(0)9646 50033 or via email at cresthawk@outlook.com.