Bodies of two missing Free State teens found in Liebenbergsvlei River

The bodies of two teenage boys, who drowned in the Liebenbergsvlei River in Bohlokong, Bethlehem, have been recovered a week after they went missing.

The two 14-year-old Free State boys – Siphiwe Mlangeni and Moratehi Radebe, both from LT Nhlabathi School – went missing on Thursday, 4 March, at around 10:00, police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said.

“It is alleged that the missing boys were with another schoolboy of the same age and were walking together to the river next to the railway line not far from their homes to pick up herbs,” Makhele said.

“On their way, the missing boys took another route and that was the last time they were seen.”

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Police began the search a day after they disappeared, but high water levels and heavy currents hampered the search.

Radebe’s body was retrieved on Wednesday, confirmed Makhele, and Mlangeni’s on Thursday.

“The retrieval of the second body of 14-year-old Siphiwe Mlangeni brought closure and ended this lengthy search which took almost a week. He was identified by his father before he was taken to the government mortuary where a post-mortem will also be conducted to determine the real cause of death,” he said.

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