A man (43) recently drowned in the Olifants River near the Old Middelburg Road (R555) in eMalahleni during a baptising ritual gone wrong.

The Witbank police say they were notified of the drowning near the Old Middelburg bridge over the river, on November 5.

Police say an eyewitness explained that they were baptising members of their church and the victim was the first to go into the water. They were following a cleansing process when the man landed in trouble. Other church members tried to save him but failed.

The man’s body was recovered from the river by the SAPS diving unit. Police have opened an inquest docket.