SAPS diving unit and Ekurhuleni K9 search and rescued a body of a traditional healer in the dark, water-filled tunnel.
This after a sangoma drowned in a dark, flooded tunnel in Heidelberg, Gauteng, on 13 December.
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What was meant to be a spiritual ritual ended in heartbreak near the Life Ministries Church this past week, when the traditional healer vanished beneath the water.
(photo is for illustration only)
According to witnesses, three izangoma entered an old, flooded prospecting tunnel, hoping to collect water they believed held special powers.
But as they went deeper into the belly of the earth, the water got higher, and the air got thinner.
Two of the men sensed danger after only two meters and scrambled back to the surface.
However, the third sangoma, convinced his ancestors would protect him, pushed further into the dark hole.
He never came back out alive.
When the man failed to resurface, panic set in.
The community and emergency services were called to the scene in a desperate race against time.
The SAPS Diving Unit, Ekurhuleni K9 Search & Rescue, and GPG paramedics swarmed the area.
But the tunnel was a death trap. To get to him, the community had to roll up its sleeves and help drain the flooded tunnel.
As the water level dropped, the hope of finding him alive faded. What started as a rescue mission sadly turned into a recovery.
Divers finally pulled the man’s cold body from the muddy depths.
He was declared dead right there on the scene by GPG medics, leaving his fellow izangoma and the community in shock.
A resident said locals have been warned about the dangers of entering these old tunnels, especially after the heavy rains.
“The water is deep, and the ground is not safe. We respect the water, but this tunnel is a trap,” said a witness.
Ekurhuleni Water Police and Diving Service spokesman Warrant Officer Grant Giblin said: “It’s alleged that three men entered the flooded former prospecting tunnel to collect ‘holy water.’
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“Community assisted police to drain water, and the tunnel was drained to remove the victim’s body, which was six metres deep.”
The police have opened an inquest docket for investigation.
