The search for a missing two-year-old boy ended in tragedy when his body was found in a river leading to the Hartbeespoort Dam.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Hartbeespoort Dam station commander Arthur Crewe said duty crew were activated by police on Friday to assist in an ongoing search for the toddler reported missing since Thursday afternoon in the vicinity of Eeladsfontein, Tshwane, on a subsidiary river leading to Hartbeespoort Dam, near to the N4 Magalies Freeway.
Family had reportedly last seen the child playing in a field in the vicinity of the river area near the Hartbeespoort Dam, but after failing to return home the alarm was raised.
“NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam swift water rescue swimmers and Strategic Rescue Unit responded to join the SA Police Services, Police Water Policing and Diving Services, Police K9 Search and Rescue, Tshwane Water Rescue and Tshwane Emergency Services, conducting an extensive search operation,” Crewe said.
“An extensive search on the river and surrounding areas included a police helicopter that joined in the extensive search efforts.
“During the search operation the body of the child was located and recovered from the river by police divers,” Crewe said.
NSRI said police have opened an inquest docket.
“All services involved in the search embrace the family of the deceased child with care, compassion and thoughts in this difficult time.”
On December 13, community members located and recovered the bodies of two teenagers, believed to both be aged 13, from the Great Kei River, approximately 20 kilometers inland of Kei River Mouth, Eastern Cape.
NSRI Kei Mouth had been alerted during the afternoon of December 11 of a drowning in progress on the Great Kei River.
Police and rescue services attended at the scene where during ongoing search efforts local community members reported that they had found the children.
Cape Times