BREAKING: 11-year-old drowns in Gobabis

The body of an 11-year-old boy has been recovered from Tilda Viljoen Dam in Gobabis, three days after he allegedly went swimming with four other boys.

According to a police report, the group of five boys, aged between six and 11, went swimming at the dam on Wednesday, 7 October 2026.

It is alleged that when the boys realised one of them was drowning, the four others ran home without reporting the incident.

The boy’s family became concerned when he could not be found. His stepfather later learnt that the children had gone swimming and began searching at the dam, where he discovered the boy’s clothes.

On Friday, 9 October, divers were called from Windhoek to assist with the search. However, while they were preparing to enter the water, the boy’s body resurfaced near the spot where his clothes had been found.

Police confirmed that the boy’s next of kin have been informed.

UPDATE: Desmarius Hansen