LYDENBURG – A mere two days after Christmas, a family of Mashishing was plunged in mourning after the death of their eight-year-old boy who drowned in a quarry on the outskirts of town.
According to Mr Deon Broekman, hazmat operator at Rapid Response, he received the distress call just before 13:00 on December 27. He immediately called the White River Police search and rescue team, Capts Pottie and Joey Potgieter, to recover little Sibusiso Tshepang’s body.
According to police officers at the scene it was unclear what had led to the drowning as two different statements were made by the children who were playing with the boy at the quarry. According to one statement, the child was pushed into the water by a man standing on the edge of the quarry.
Another, however, states that the children (three including Sibusiso) were all playing in the water when he suddenly disappeared under the water and never resurfaced. The quarry is about six metres deep. Capt Joey Potgieter found the body of the child after it had been in the water for more than four hours.
The family of Sibusiso cried inconsolably when he was eventually retrieved from the water. They were unable to speak to the newspaper at that time. This was apparently the 12th drowning during the festive season in Mpumalanga. The incident is still under investigation.
Also see: Mentally disabled boy drowns
