Drowning victim's body found in Inanda Dam
Tragedy strikes at Inanda Dam as the body of 38-year-old Mthokozisi Qwabe is recovered following a drowning incident during a fishing trip.
Image: RUSA
THE body of a 38-year-old man, identified as Mthokozisi Qwabe, has been recovered from Inanda Dam in KwaZulu-Natal following a drowning incident that occurred during a fishing trip.
Members of the private security company, Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), were involved in the recovery operation.
According to a statement from RUSA, Qwabe went fishing with a friend at the dam on Tuesday. Due to the extreme heat, the two decided to take a swim.
Qwabe, who was reportedly unable to swim, encountered difficulties in the water and disappeared beneath the surface. His friend attempted to rescue him but was unsuccessful.
On Thursday, the South African Police Service (SAPS) K9 Search and Rescue Unit conducted a search operation at the dam; however, they were unable to locate Qwabe.
RUSA reaction officers and paramedics returned to the scene on Friday morning after receiving a report from a member of the public who believed they had spotted something in the water. Despite their efforts, they could not initially confirm the sighting.
“Upon arrival, a reaction officer deployed a drone to conduct a low-level aerial search after the caller lost sight of what they were observing. Minutes into the flight, the drone pilot confirmed that the sighting was that of a male body floating in the water towards the riverbank on the opposite side of the dam. The body was mostly submerged,” RUSA stated in a statement.
Following the confirmation, the officers entered the water and successfully retrieved the body, which was positively identified as that of Qwabe.
This incident comes shortly after a seven-year-old child drowned in Lidgetton Dam in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands earlier this week, highlighting ongoing concerns regarding water safety in the region.