Tragedy struck yet again at the Woodstock Dam in the Bergville area, when another teenager drowned on Saturday afternoon, 10 April. SAPS Pietermaritzburg and Newcastle K9 Search and Rescue, assisted by divers, were called in to help Bergville SAPS and Okhahlamba Search and Rescue after 17-year-old Simphiwe Hadebe had drowned.
After a search-and-rescue dog pointed to an area in the water of the Woodstock Dam, a dive operation was conducted and the body was recovered. Chief Freddie Halgreen from Okhahlamba Municipal Search and Rescue told The Ladysmith Herald, that the teenager was swimming with a group of friends, when Hadebe got into difficulty and drowned. “Again, we appeal to all community members that are living along big water surfaces such as the Woodstock Dam to please stay away, please don’t attempt to cross or swim,” said Halgreen. An inquest has been opened by the Bergville police. Just over a week another teenager also drowned in the Woodstock Dam when he tried to catch a duck for his supper. Rescuers searched for over eight hours for his body. However, the body was only discovered two days later, floating among the reeds growing along the dam wall.
