Boy (12) dies while attempting to cross Umvoti River
A 12-year-old boy drowned when he allegedly attempted to cross the Umvoti River in KwaZulu-Natal.
IPSS medical rescue and police search and rescue divers searched the muddy water for about an hour and a half before recovering the boy’s body on Saturday, North Coast Courier reported.
Rodney Meyrick from IPSS Medical Rescue said there were many deep holes in the riverbed due to illegal sand dredging, creating air pockets in the riverbed and once stepped on, the air pockets gave way.
For nonswimmers or people who felt uneasy in water, this sudden sinking could cause panic, added Meyrick.
“The illegal dredging is not only harmful to the environment, but is also a death trap for innocent river crossers,” said Meyrick.
In a separate incident, a 12-year-old boy drowned in the Umgeni River in Cato Ridge, KwaZulu-Natal, in December last year.
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said paramedics and search and rescue were told a group of boys had been swimming in the river when the 12 year old went missing.
They searched for about two hours before the boy’s body was found near a riverbank, added Meiring.
He was declared dead on the scene.
– Caxton News Service
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