AVOID flooded rivers, dams and other dangerous waters in this heavy rainy season!
This is the call from Mpumalanga police following tragic incidents involving water.
The body of a five-year-old boy was recovered from the Sukani River in Masoyi.
Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said the victim’s mother was attempting to cross the river with her boy on her back on Sunday. He slipped out of her hands and fell into the water.
Earlier on Tuesday, the body of a one-year-old boy was discovered in a ditch full of water at Nkaba Trust in Elukwatini after he had gone missing.
His body was found soon thereafter.
In a separate incident, a 40-year-old man’s body was recovered at Pilgrim’s Rest after his sudden disappearance at a nearby river.
Hlathi said the matter was reported to the local police station on Monday and police divers retrieved the man’s body on Tuesday. An inquest docket has been opened.
“Police are worried because a number of people have drowned since the beginning of summer,” said Hlathi.
He urged parents to look after their children, especially since the schools are still closed as more heavy rain was experienced in some parts of the province and more is still expected.