MATSULU – A family has recently been shattered after the recent loss of two family members.

While preparing for the funeral of their grandmother, their cousin, 19-year-old Percy Gumedze, tragically lost his life while attempting to cross the Crocodile River near Matsulu with four other family members.

According to a close relative, who survived the accident, they had gone to fetch firewood at the other side of the river and they borrowed a half cut Jojo tank from road construction workers on the N4 to cross the river in.

The flow of the water was too powerful and which led to all five of them falling into the water. They tried to reach the river bank but only three of them managed to get out on time.

They screamed for help, hoping that the construction workers would hear them. Fortunately, there was a member of their family who was left behind and he managed to run to their rescue.

Two of them were still in the water, so he dived in and only managed to rescue one of them, whom he found about nine metres from the point where they had overturned.
Their uncle, Mr Solomon Mabaso who was fishing nearby, said it was too late for him to help when he arrived at the scene.

The police were immediately summoned when the deceased didn’t resurface. “ It became dark and we eventually went home without knowing whether he was still alive,” said Mabaso.

Police divers only discovered the victims body the next day. It was located at the bottom of the river near the riverbank.

Mr Lucky Mabaso, one of the survivors, said he was still in shock, “I am very shattered and sad. I keep having flashbacks and I feel like dying right now,” he said.

“Percy was a good boy; we went to fetch him at the car wash to assist us with the firewood because we knew he was reliable,” he continued.