AS it has been scorching hot in most parts of KZN for the past two days.
Most rural kids cool down by going for a swim in the nearby rivers and dams.
Four boys also felt the heat was unbearable and they decided to go for a swim in a river near their home.
But little did they know that it would be the very last time they swam together as one of them tragically drowned.
The eight-year-old boy drowned while swimming in the Mdloti River in Canelands, KZN on Monday, 20 November.
The boy, Siyamthanda Mkhize, a grade 3 pupil from Umdloti Primary School in Barrs Flats KZN was in the company of three friends when they decided to swim in the river. The boys stripped naked and entered the water.
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The Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) spokesman Prem Balram said Siyamthanda’s friends said they noticed him experiencing difficulty as he drifted into deeper water.
“Two of the boys fled to a nearby sand mining company and requested assistance, while the third child proceeded to Siyamthanda’s home to inform his family.
“An employee from the business entered the river and retrieved the body before contacting Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) for assistance. RUSA Paramedics were immediately dispatched and on arrival at approximately 2.01pm examined the minor,” he said.
He said Siyamthanda showed no signs of life and was declared deceased.
The KZN cops spokeswoman Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed the incident saying an inquest docket has been opened after the 8-year-old boy drowned on Monday, 20 November.
