Second body in less than three weeks found at Manie Mulder Adventure Park
Shortly after arrival, the search and rescue divers recovered the body of a 43-year-old man, who has since been identified by his family members.
The waters of Manie Mulder Adventure Park in Roodepoort have tragically claimed another life, just 17 days after the last body was recovered.
In almost identical circumstances to the last recovery, the Roodepoort Police K9 Search and Rescue team were called to the waterfall shortly after 9am this morning, 27 October after one of the park rangers noticed the clothing of a man, unattended beside the water.
Shortly after arrival, the search and rescue divers recovered the body of a 43-year-old man, who has since been identified by his family members. City of Johannesburg EMS was also on scene to assist the K9 divers, as well as Netcare 911 to confirm the victim’s death.
Gauteng Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo stated that the clothes that were found are associated with a certain local church. The church clothing go hand in hand with the theory of Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch Chairperson, Andreas Oberlechner, that this death is another tragic result of a pilgrimage to the Manie Mulder waters, which some consider holy.
Masondo said that while the cause of death has not been confirmed, the police suspect that his death was another drowning, but an inquest docket has been opened to determine the official cause of death.
Ward 83 councillor, Florence Roberts, shared her deep condolences with the family of the deceased as well as her frustration with the City of Johannesburg Department of Community Development. Florence referred to the incident as an extremely unfortunate and avoidable tragedy. “I’m calling on the CoJ Community Development Department to urgently prioritise plans to secure the park and invest in safety programmes related to the cultural practices at the park,” the councillor commented.
Florence further stated that she had submitted a proposal in this regard in 2019, and is stressing that these matters should be prioritised.
Masondo concluded by saying that the investigation is still ongoing. The Department of Community Development has been approached for comment, but at the time of publication none had been received. This is a developing story and as soon as comment is received, an update will be published.
