Stormy weather and a temperature rise have kept members of the Gauteng Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) in their wet suits.
Vaal River
• The body of a young man was recovered at Spider Valley, following a 92-minute dive. It is alleged that a group of men were swimming on October 12, when the victim drowned.
• Members from Sedibeng responded to a call from Vereeniging SAPS on October 15 that a man allegedly jumped from the FW de Klerk Bridge into the Vaal River. The scene was identified but the search was called off due to impending storms.
The search continued the following morning but a 140-minute dive at a depth of 9m yielded no results.
On October 19 officers received a call of a man’s body which had been found near the R59.
The body was recovered and SAPS is working on establishing whether it is the body of the FW de Klerk Bridge victim.
Lehae, Lenasia South
WPDS members from Johannesburg were deployed to the area near the Golden Highway following a suspected drowning, on October 17.
The body of a 40-year-old man was recovered. His body was entangled in a fishing net.
Hennops River, Erasmia
On October 18, officers from Tshwane recovered the body of an unknown male in a bad stage of decomposition from the Hennops River.
Rabie Ridge
A fetus was recovered from a sewage stream, on October 21. A case of concealment of birth is currently being investigated.
Green Scorpions
WPDS members for Ekurhuleni along with members of the Vaal Marina SAPS and Green Scorpions attended an all-day operation at Boschkop at the Vaal Dam, to remove illegal fishing nets.
Six illegal nets were recovered and struggling live fish were safely returned to the dam.
Nets containing rotting fish were destroyed.
Information supplied by WPDS spokesperson, Warrant Officer Grant Giblin.
