Two young Transkei boys yesterday described their horror at watching helplessly as a friend drowned in the Mthatha River this week.
The teen’s death happened on Tuesday, the same day as three pre-teen girls drowned while swimming in a river near Avondale, Matatiele.
A fourth girl survived after she was pulled out of the water by friends swimming nearby. The incident was around midday.
The children were swimming to cool off in hot weather.
In Tsolo, 13-year old Yanga Mpande said his cousin Afika Mpande, 16, had tried to swim across the Mthatha River near Ncambele Village shortly after he and another friend, Lunga, made it across.
Yanga described his older cousin Afika, a Grade 6 pupil at Mpindweni Junior Secondary School, as his swimming and fishing mentor.
“It was our first time to swim across the river, so when Lunga and I managed to reach the other side Afika took off his clothes and said he could not be outdone by us.
“But when he was in the middle of the river (about 3m deep), he struggled,” said Yanga.
“He raised his head and shouted Lunga’s name three times.
“When his head came up for the fourth time, he didn’t speak and his eyes had turned red,” he said, adding that Afika then disappeared beneath the surface. Yanga said Lunga had dived into the river to try and save Afika but it was too late.
In Tuesday’s other incident, the three girls drowned in a river about 200m from their homes.
The victims were identified as Vuyiswa Ntakana, Nosipho Ndlebe, both 11, and Dikgakiso Skwatsha, 8.
Their bodies were recovered more than 20 hours later by a team of police divers from East London and public safety officers from Matatiele municipality.
The mercury rose to over 30°C and Matatiele police spokesman Lieutenant Raphael Motloung urged parents to supervise their children during hot weather.
“They are tempted to go for a swim and end up getting into difficulty. It is very tragic. The whole community is shocked,” said Motloung.
Three inquest dockets had been opened, he said.
In Tsolo, SAPS Cradock K9 rescue unit member Captain Jacques Swartz and a colleague were joined by police from the Tsolo Rural Safety and Sector Policing units 24 hours later.
Working with a sniffer dog, Swartz searched the water but called it off at various intervals as he waited for his colleagues who were attending the Avondale incident.
The boy’s body was eventually found late yesterday afternoon.
The young boy’s grandfather Mncedisi Mpande, 69, the village chief Chief Sakhumzi Zibuzele Tswina and local residents had gathered along the river banks to watch the search.
Tswina said hot conditions and school holidays exposed children to the risk of drowning. “When it’s cold in winter they will never come near the water. The risk is very high in summer because they are still young and their bodies cannot absorb extreme heat. Secondly, they come fishing but at the same time they decide to swim,” said Tswina.
Afika’s distraught grandmother Nozukile gathered with neighbours and family at their home in Mpindweni Village, about 6km away.
The pensioner said they were sleepless with grief on Tuesday night with the loss of their beloved grandchild. — loyisom@dispatch.co.za
Four kids drowned swimming
The teen’s death happened on Tuesday, the same day as three pre-teen girls drowned while swimming in a river near Avondale, Matatiele.
A fourth girl survived after she was pulled out of the water by friends swimming nearby. The incident was around midday.
The children were swimming to cool off in hot weather.
In Tsolo, 13-year old Yanga Mpande said his cousin Afika Mpande, 16, had tried to swim across the Mthatha River near Ncambele Village shortly after he and another friend, Lunga, made it across.
Yanga described his older cousin Afika, a Grade 6 pupil at Mpindweni Junior Secondary School, as his swimming and fishing mentor.
“It was our first time to swim across the river, so when Lunga and I managed to reach the other side Afika took off his clothes and said he could not be outdone by us.
“But when he was in the middle of the river (about 3m deep), he struggled,” said Yanga.
“He raised his head and shouted Lunga’s name three times.
“When his head came up for the fourth time, he didn’t speak and his eyes had turned red,” he said, adding that Afika then disappeared beneath the surface. Yanga said Lunga had dived into the river to try and save Afika but it was too late.
In Tuesday’s other incident, the three girls drowned in a river about 200m from their homes.
The victims were identified as Vuyiswa Ntakana, Nosipho Ndlebe, both 11, and Dikgakiso Skwatsha, 8.
Their bodies were recovered more than 20 hours later by a team of police divers from East London and public safety officers from Matatiele municipality.
The mercury rose to over 30°C and Matatiele police spokesman Lieutenant Raphael Motloung urged parents to supervise their children during hot weather.
“They are tempted to go for a swim and end up getting into difficulty. It is very tragic. The whole community is shocked,” said Motloung.
Three inquest dockets had been opened, he said.
In Tsolo, SAPS Cradock K9 rescue unit member Captain Jacques Swartz and a colleague were joined by police from the Tsolo Rural Safety and Sector Policing units 24 hours later.
Working with a sniffer dog, Swartz searched the water but called it off at various intervals as he waited for his colleagues who were attending the Avondale incident.
The boy’s body was eventually found late yesterday afternoon.
The young boy’s grandfather Mncedisi Mpande, 69, the village chief Chief Sakhumzi Zibuzele Tswina and local residents had gathered along the river banks to watch the search.
Tswina said hot conditions and school holidays exposed children to the risk of drowning. “When it’s cold in winter they will never come near the water. The risk is very high in summer because they are still young and their bodies cannot absorb extreme heat. Secondly, they come fishing but at the same time they decide to swim,” said Tswina.
Afika’s distraught grandmother Nozukile gathered with neighbours and family at their home in Mpindweni Village, about 6km away.
The pensioner said they were sleepless with grief on Tuesday night with the loss of their beloved grandchild. — loyisom@dispatch.co.za
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