It was a heartbreaking moment for the families and the community of uMdloti, who had been praying at the banks of Mount Moreland River, when the bodies of 11-year-old Andile Ngema and 12-year-old Sibongokuhle Msami were recovered on Friday afternoon, 28 April.
The Waterloo Primary School learners had been missing since Thursday, 27 April, after experiencing difficulty in the waters of Mount Moreland River in Verulam, where they were out fishing with a group of friends on Freedom Day. Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) spokesperson, Prem Balram, said on Friday, their team joined IPSS Medical and Rescue Services, SAPS Umhlali K9 Search and Rescue Unit and Metro Police Divers to search for the missing boys.
He said: “The RUSA R44 helicopter was called in to conduct a low level flight to disperse Water Hyacinth that covered the search area and posed a risk to rescuers. Police with a specialised dog entered the water on an inflatable boat while divers with oxygen tanks searched areas indicated by the K9. The bodies of Andile Ngema and Sibongokuhle Msami were located metres away from each other by SAPS K9 Search and Rescue officer Clinton Odayar and his dog Dante.”
Balram added that Metro Police Search and Rescue Divers then retrieved the bodies with the assistance of IPSS Search and Rescue. It is alleged that, on Thursday, the group of friends had gone out fishing on a hot sunny day while enjoying their time off from school.
Balram said according to their friends, the two boys, Ngema and Msami, decided to enter the water to cool off from high temperatures and while swimming they experienced difficulty and disappeared under water.
“Their friends witnessed the incident and attempted to rescue them but were unsuccessful. Search and Rescue personnel from the South African Police, Metro Police and a private ambulance service entered the water on Thursday in an attempt to retrieve the bodies but the search was called off due to poor lighting and resumed the next morning,” Balram added.
Verulam SAPS Communications Officer, Constable Bongiwe Ngcobo, said following the tragic incident, two inquest dockets have been opened for investigation.
She said: “It is alleged that on 27 April at 4pm, members of Verulam SAPS received a complaint of drowning. Upon arrival it was established that five friends were fishing on the river bank and after a while two of the children decided to go for a swim and suddenly found it difficult and was swept away by the current. Search and rescue was contacted and they conducted a search, but they couldn’t find the two children.”
Constable Ngcobo added that on the following day, 28 April, search and rescue (SAPS, Metro Police and IPPS) resumed their search. “The two bodies were recovered. The deceased were identified by their respective families who were at the scene. They were identified as Andile Ngema, 11, and Sibongokuhle Msane, 12, both of Phase 3 Waterloo. The matter is currently under investigation,” she said.
Residents of the area who wished to remain anonymous, said the death of the two boys has sent shockwaves throughout the community as they were well known. The resident said: “It is extremely sad that we had to lose the two young souls in such a devastating manner. Children play in the river all the time so I don’t think they would have seen the danger in them swimming at Mount Moreland, but I think its time that we educate the community on the risks as we need to know what can happen and also stop another incident like this from happening again. We send our condolences to the two families during their time of grief and hope that they have the courage during this time.”
Ngema and Msami are expected to be laid to rest by the end of this week.
