THE river was flowing strongly, but they had to get to school.
The boys, both 14 years old, decided to cross the river.
BUT FROM UPSTREAM, A WAVE OF WATER, LIKE A WALL OF DEATH, WAS RUSHING TOWARDS THEM.
“The massive wave hit us and dragged us downstream.”
Knowing their lives were in danger, the boys instinctively reached out and grabbed onto the branches of a tree in the middle of the river. Wet, cold and tired, they held on for dear life. All they could do was scream for help.
“Every time we saw somebody passing, we screamed, but we realised they could not hear us,” said Shaun Shobete (14).
The boys told Daily Sun their route to school crosses the N’wandlamharhi River next to the Kruger National Park.
They said they were confident that they would get across the river safely, but then they were swept away by the wave.
Help finally arrived at 2pm in the afternoon, almost seven hours later.
Village committee member Treah Seoke said they received a call from the boys’ worried parents, who said their kids had not returned from school.
“We immediately organised a search party and called Fire and Rescue. We were searching along the river when a member of the search party heard the screams.
“The boys were later seen in the river, hanging on to the branches of a tree,” said Treah.
“The boys were pulled from the river by the people from Fire and Rescue.”
Bushbuckridge Municipality’s Fire and Rescue chief officer Rexon Silinda said the two boys were unhurt.
“Two weeks ago we rescued three young men when they tried to cross this river,” he said.
“The river is infested with dangerous creatures. Parents are advised to make a plan to transport their kids to school so they don’t have to risk their lives crossing the rivers.”
