Six rescue operations, four bodies retrieved in 18 days in Limpopo

A total of six joint search and rescue operations were conducted across the province since the beginning of the month.
Provincial Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe indicated that the operations were conducted by members of the Police Search and Rescue Unit, K9 Unit and the air wing.
The operations are precipitated by the high rate of incidents of missing persons after they were seen in mountainous areas or along rivers and dams.
Ngoepe reiterated that some victims drown while swimming in dams and rivers without supervision while others are caught by crocodiles while fishing. From the beginning of June more than six rescue operations were conducted and four bodies were retrieved from rivers and dams in the Gravelotte, Waterval, Malipsdrift, Sekhukhune and Rakgoadi areas.
He highlighted the incident of Fondani Matsimbe (29) whose body was recently retrieved after he had fallen into a dam near Gravelotte. Matsimbe was allegedly part of a team constructing a new dam when he allegedly slipped and fell into the water.
The size and depth of the dam made for difficult search conditions but the rescue team persisted until the body was retrieved, Ngoepe reported. He further informed that the operations also included the retrieval of Tinashe Ngwenya’s (35) from the Albasini Dam outside Makhado after he allegedly drowned, the removal of the remains of a middle-aged man from a sewage line near the mall in Seshego and the body of Peter Phahlamohlaka (30) who reportedly drowned after illegally fishing in a dam outside Groblersdal.
Ngoepe again cautioned that persons should take the utmost care when working or relaxing close to rivers and dams.

Story: RC Myburgh
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