Man becomes fifth person to drown in Kwena Dam
As he swam to it, he disappeared under the water and never resurfaced. Eddie went into the water but couldn’t find him
LYDENBURG – What was supposed to be a fun Sunday outing ended tragically when a young man drowned in the Kwena Dam this past weekend.
Mr Richard Matete (26) accompanied Mr Eddie Albrecht, his wife Ms Sherene and his children from Stoffberg, on a Sunday fishing trip when he fell off the canoe and disappeared under the water.
“Richard was supposed to go home for the weekend, since it was the end of the month. When he saw us getting ready to head for the dam, he asked if he could come along and of course we said he was more than welcome,” explained Sherene.
Eddie and Richard worked at the same company and Richard also lived on their property.
They arrived at the dam shortly after 10:00. While Sherene and Eddie were fishing near the spot where they had parked their vehicle, Matete and the Albrechts’ son went to another spot called the island, some 100 metres away where they played and cast their rods in the water.
When they returned, Richard asked if he could go rowing on the canoe. ”I went to get my phone in the bakkie while he was in the water and in those split seconds he must have fallen off. I saw him swimming towards the overturned canoe and called out to Eddie to help him. As he swam to it, he disappeared under the water and never resurfaced. Eddie went into the water but couldn’t find him.”
Read more in Friday’s edition.
