Cousins die in farm dam

Community members recovered the body of a young child who drowned in a farm dam near Riebeeck East last weekend and police divers later found the body of her cousin.

Police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said the girls, both around 6 years old, lived with a grandparent on the farm. It was believed the girls were swimming in the dam around 1.20pm Sunday 23 April. A third child alerted adults that the girls were in trouble. An inquest docket has been opened for investigation.

“When the local SAPS arrived one child had already been retrieved by a member of the community and after the arrival of police divers the second child was recovered,” Govender said.

Grahamstown Cluster Commander Brigadier David Kanuka said, “Words cannot adequately express my condolences on the loss of these two young children, as no amount of words can return these children to us. Parents and guardians are urged to keep a watchful eye on children as they are drawn to explore. Always ensure that minors are in the company of a responsible adult and that they are supervised to avoid unfortunate tragic incidents of this nature.”