Body toll rises to four as thief is pulled from Vaal River in Standerton
The burglary suspect jumped into the Vaal River and tried to swim to the other side, but drowned before his pursuers got close to him.
The SAPS, Kasselman Security Services (KSS), and diving teams had their hands full with multiple bodies discovered in the Vaal River in recent weeks.
Last week was no exception when a burglar tried to flee by braving the icy water at River Park. A couple residing in the Standerton Central area discovered the uninvited guest in their yard at about 10:35 on July 10.
When the thief saw them, he took off towards the swimming pool and turned into Handel Street.
The homeowner chased after him with help from a KSS officer. The thief promptly jumped into the Vaal River and tried to swim to the other side.
This attempt to escape justice was in vain because the man could not swim in the cold, murky water. He drowned before his pursuers got close to him.
Emergency services arrived on the scene, and the homeowner and security officer pointed to where the man disappeared in the water.
Delta 1 Rescue Diving’s Daylen Appelgryn was the first diver to try and find the body but could not because the oxygen tanks were still en route from Middelburg.
Sergeant Dilo Mochayi continued the underwater search and finally found and retrieved the body. The deceased still had on a backpack containing multiple tools assumed to be used to break into homes and remove fixtures such as light switches and taps.
