Bodies recovered from Orange River
The bodies of four girls who drowned in the Orange River on Sunday have been found by police divers.
The victims - aged 13, 15, 16 and 17 - drowned during an outing with the father of one of the girls.
According to the //Karas Region's crime investigations coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Rudolf Isaack, divers recovered the bodies yesterday afternoon.
The police chief, Lieutenant-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, has issued a stern warning to parents who allow their children to swim unsupervised, saying the nation can no longer sit with hands folded while youngsters drown unnecessarily.
According to police reports, at least seven children have drowned in the country in just one week.
Three days before the Orange River incident, three girls - aged 11, 13 and 15 - drowned in flooded sand pits left behind by sand miners in the Ohangwena Region.
Ndeitunga said it is sad that some adults still advise children to swim in rivers where they are often unable to swim against the stream.
“The water of a river is constantly in motion and not everybody can swim against the course of a river. As a result, it is very difficult for people who are not professional swimmers to survive in a river; particularly people who live inland and are not used to swimming in rivers,” he said.
He also cautioned parents and caretakers of minors, who live near to rivers, to keep an eye on their children so they do not swim unsupervised.
“Some of the children are drowning because of the carelessness of their parents or caretakers. The bottom of rivers is muddy; if you go and step in there, then you [get stuck].
Maybe that is what happened with the children who drowned in the north and the four in the Orange River,” he said.
Ndeitunga acknowledged that people want to go swimming to escape the summer heat, but warned weak swimmers to stay out of rivers and the ocean.
JEMIMA BEUKES
The victims - aged 13, 15, 16 and 17 - drowned during an outing with the father of one of the girls.
According to the //Karas Region's crime investigations coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Rudolf Isaack, divers recovered the bodies yesterday afternoon.
The police chief, Lieutenant-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, has issued a stern warning to parents who allow their children to swim unsupervised, saying the nation can no longer sit with hands folded while youngsters drown unnecessarily.
According to police reports, at least seven children have drowned in the country in just one week.
Three days before the Orange River incident, three girls - aged 11, 13 and 15 - drowned in flooded sand pits left behind by sand miners in the Ohangwena Region.
Ndeitunga said it is sad that some adults still advise children to swim in rivers where they are often unable to swim against the stream.
“The water of a river is constantly in motion and not everybody can swim against the course of a river. As a result, it is very difficult for people who are not professional swimmers to survive in a river; particularly people who live inland and are not used to swimming in rivers,” he said.
He also cautioned parents and caretakers of minors, who live near to rivers, to keep an eye on their children so they do not swim unsupervised.
“Some of the children are drowning because of the carelessness of their parents or caretakers. The bottom of rivers is muddy; if you go and step in there, then you [get stuck].
Maybe that is what happened with the children who drowned in the north and the four in the Orange River,” he said.
Ndeitunga acknowledged that people want to go swimming to escape the summer heat, but warned weak swimmers to stay out of rivers and the ocean.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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