Eight confirmed drownings in floods across Ehlanzeni
Eight people have drowned within the Ehlanzeni region between February 3 and 15 due to the recent floods.
Eight drownings have been reported in the Lowveld and surrounds since February 3.
The Ehlanzeni Police Diving Unit has been kept extremely busy these past few weeks in severe weather conditions unlike anything seen in the province in recent decades.
In a recent incident, the body of a 22-year-old was recovered by the diving unit with help from the Middelburg K9 Unit, Search and Rescue South Africa (Sarza) and the Middelburg Mounted Unit on Tuesday. The body was first spotted at 14:40 and was successfully recovered just before 17:30.
It is believed that he had tried to cross the Gladdespruit near Montana Garden & Pet Pavilion on Friday, before he was swept away.
The first flood-related drowning occurred on February 3 in KaMhlushwa. A 49-year-old man drowned in the Lomati River. He is among five bodies yet to be recovered.
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On February 5, the unit was called out to three drownings. In the first incident, a man (24) and his sister (17) had drowned while swimming in a body of water in Barberton. Their bodies have since been recovered.
In the second incident, which occurred in Schoemansdal, a man (19) had attempted to cross the Mlumati River with a friend to get to a nearby shop.
The man was swept into the river and drowned while his friend was fortunately able to reach the safety of the bank and get out. The body is yet to be recovered.
The diving unit’s Captain Joey Potgieter said on February 9, near Driekoppies, there were reports of a man seen in Mlumati River hanging onto a fridge for dear life. He unfortunately slipped into the water. His body has not yet been found.
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On Saturday, the unit received a call regarding the drowning of a 15-year-old boy at a quarry in KaNyamazane. It is believed the teen had been playing with his friends and had thrown a shoe into the quarry. He drowned after he entered the water to try and retrieve it. His body was recovered.
Potgieter said the high water levels and rapid speed of the rivers and streams have made it difficult and unsafe for some of the body recoveries to proceed at this stage.
On February 15, the body of a 16-year-old boy was recovered after he drowned in a dam in Mgobodzi, Nkomazi.
A provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, said the tragedy followed the devastating floods that hit parts of Nkomazi in recent weeks.
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Mohlala said the Tonga police received a call at about 18:00 on Wednesday after community members retrieved the body of the teenager from the dam.
He said the boy and his friends went to the dam to cool off.
“It is alleged that when his friends realised that he did not come out of the water they went and reported this to the elders,” said Mohlala.
He said some community members managed to retrieve the body of the boy, then alerted the authorities. Medical personnel certified him dead at the scene.
