A GROUPS of young boys thought it would be fun to go fishing on Thursday, 25 January at around 2pm.
However, their plan ended in tragedy when Vuyo Khoza (10) allegedly slipped and fell into the river on the outskirts of Justicia Village outside Mkhuhlu in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.
His shocked friends told the police Vuyo tried to grab a tree branch by leaning forward towards the river, while other boys who were playing at a nearby dam came running in an attempt to save him.
They said the boys couldn't save him as he fell and disappeared in the water.
His gogo Elizabeth Khoza (56) said Vuyo left home in the afternoon to go and play with his friends as he usually did.
"We couldn't believe our ears when we received a call from village leaders and his friends that he had drowned in the river. We then called in the fire and rescue team from Bushbuckridge Municipality and the police. He was a brilliant child in grade 6 at nearby Moketse Primary School. We will always miss his smile," she said.
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Colonel Donald Mdhluli confirmed that police were investigating an incident where a child had drowned in the river.
"The fire and rescue team from the Bushbuckridge Municipality and police were activated to the scene, and the rescue team dived in the water and found the 10-year-old boy. But he was certified dead.
"Currently from the preliminary investigation it's believed the child was busy fishing with a group of kids who were playing in the tree near the dam. And the victim fell into river, even though there was an attempt to save him. But they couldn't reach the branch of the tree which moved towards the river. That's when he unfortunately lost his life," he said.
