Two separate drowning tragedies marred the weekend as three people died during a religious ceremony in Mpumalanga, while two teenagers were swept out to sea during a swimming trip in the Western Cape. Police divers and rescue teams were deployed to both sites following the incidents on 25 April.

eMbalenhle Incident

In eMbalenhle, Delta 1 Rescue Diving swimmers retrieved three bodies from the Wellas River in Extension 22. Preliminary reports suggest the victims drowned during a baptising ceremony, the Ridge Times reports.

Mossel Bay Incident

In a separate tragedy in Mossel Bay, police divers and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) recovered the bodies of two teenagers at De Bakke Beach. According to Southern Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Chris Spies, a group had been swimming when two people were swept away by waves from nearby rocks.

The Mossel Bay Advertiser reports that a witness attempted a rescue using a bodyboard and managed to locate an 18-year-old girl. Her body was subsequently retrieved with the assistance of the NSRI and local police.

The search for the second victim continued into the night, with the body of a 14-year-old boy eventually recovered at 07:00 this morning (26 April). Both victims are believed to be residents of Mossel Bay, though their identities have not yet been released.