Photo for illustration purposes. The man's body was recovered three hours after he drowned. Photo: iStock
A 25-year-old trainee traditional healer has reportedly drowned in the Rainbow River in Mpumalanga while performing rituals.
Police have since warned communities – especially at Majembeni Trust near Bushbuckridge, where the incident occurred around 9am on Sunday morning – to be cautious when in or close to the waters.
“According to information, three male trainees and the female traditional healer went to the river to perform some rituals,” said Colonel Donald Mdhluli.
“During the process, one of the trainees disappeared inside the river. A search was conducted with no luck.
“The matter was immediately reported to the police and police divers were summoned to the scene but sadly the body was retrieved after three hours, at about 12:00.”
Mdhluli explained there were no visible injuries on the man’s body yet an inquest was opened by the police and will be investigated.
ALSO READ: Traditional healer in Burkina convicted in high-profile trial
Mpumalanga’s Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela cautioned the public to be extra careful when conducting similar activities in the rivers.
Manamela added that due to continuous rainfall experienced in nearby areas, it should be noted that the rivers and dams are swollen, which poses danger to anybody near them.
Last week, the body of a 60-year-old man, who had been reported missing for about a week, was recovered from the Mvoti River in KwaZulu-Natal.
However, due to the state of the body’s decomposition, authorities said the exact cause of death could not immediately be established.
The man’s body was discovered after local community members spotted it on a small island in the middle of the Mvoti River.
An inflatable raft and rope system had to be used to recover the body.
ALSO READ: Community helps identify missing man found in Mvoti River
Additional reporting by Chulumanco Mahamba
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
