A game of chase resulted in an eight-year-old boy drowning.
On Thursday, December 22, 2016 an eight-year-old boy and a group of friends gave chase to a porcupine, the group of boys were chasing it down towards the Olifants River near Thubelihle when tragedy struck.
The boy attempted to cross the river along with his friends but was taken by the current and drowned, this was just after midday. Police received the call about the drowning and the Police Divers Unit spent the better part of three days searching for the boy.
On December 25 the Police Diving Unit recovered the boy’s body roughly three kilometres down river from where the boy had drowned.
A police driver stands besides the recovered body of a boy that drowned in the Olifants River.
“Parents are warned to look after their children and not to allow them to swim without supervision,” said Sgt Yster Shabangu, Kriel Police communications.
Police are investigating the drowning and an inquest has been opened at the Kriel Police.
The Kriel Police stresses the importance of educating children on the hazards of swimming in rivers and asks parents to educate their children on these dangers as this was the second drowning to have taken place in Ga-Nala in the month of December.
“We as the police attended the boy’s funeral on December 30 and offer our condolences to the family on the boy’s passing,” said Sgt Shabangu.
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