What began as an afternoon swim ended in heartbreak after a 14-year-old boy drowned in a water-filled excavation left behind by illegal miners at Begasdorp Mine View in Maake, Limpopo.
The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday, 4 February, at about 3pm, when the teenager was swimming with friends in the pit, which had filled with rainwater.
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The excavation, allegedly dug by illegal miners, became a deadly trap.
SAPS spokesman Colonel Malesela Ledwaba confirmed the boy drowned while swimming with his friends.
“A search and rescue operation was activated on the same day and continued the following day,” said Ledwaba.
He said members of the SAPS Search and Rescue Team, including the Water Wing Unit and assisted by Politsi K9, were deployed.
“The body was recovered on Thursday, 5 February, by divers at a depth of approximately five metres,” said Ledwaba.
Police have opened an inquest docket to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Colonel Ledwaba said Limpopo SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe conveyed her condolences to the bereaved family and cautioned communities, especially parents and guardians, against allowing children to swim in unauthorised water bodies, including abandoned or illegal mining excavations.
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“These areas are extremely dangerous and pose a serious risk to life,” said Hadebe.
