Drowning victims recovered from local dams this week
MBOMBELA - The Ehlanzeni Police Diving Unit has had to recover the bodies of two fishermen from crocodile-infested dams in Barberton and Malalane during the past week.
In the first incident, a man from Bushbuckridge had travelled to a dam in Barberton on Monday July 18 to go fishing.
The man had used a makeshift raft to keep himself afloat while fishing, however, at some point it is suspected he fell in and drowned.
The search for the fisherman began on Monday and proved difficult due to the excessive layers of sewage and vegetation caking the surface of the dam. The dam is also known to have crocodiles, and there was concerns that the fisherman may have been dragged into the water and killed by one.
After almost five days searching the filthy croc-infested waters, the team managed to find and recover the body of the missing man. He appeared to have died from drowning.
Community members had stood on the banks during the search and watched for crocodiles, ready to alert the diving unit if any were spotted.
In the second incident, a man had been fishing in Malalane on Sunday July 24, when he fell into the water, became tangled in fishing nets and drowned.
The Ehlanzeni Police Diving Unit started the search on Sunday and found the fisherman had been using an old tyre tube as a raft.
While some members of the unit searched the water, others stood on the banks as lookout. It had been reported to the team that two very large crocodiles were known to be in the area.
The body of the fisherman was recovered by the unit on Tuesday July 26.
The diving unit said that almost every single dam in the Lowveld has crocodiles and hippos.
With summer around the corner, adults and children will be looking for ways to stave off the heat. People are urged to swim and fish in designated areas. Parents are also urged to supervise their children at all times while in or around water.