On Sunday 27 October and Tuesday 29 October 2024, divers from the SAPS Ekurhuleni Water Policing and Diving Services together with K9 Search and Rescue were deployed to two separate incidents in Gauteng, which resulted in the recovery of five bodies.
Late on Sunday afternoon Ekurhuleni Water Policing and Diving Services members were deployed to Natalspruit River close to Kaunda Street, Zonkizizwe for a drowning scene. Allegedly two (02) boys who were part of a larger group had been swimming when the two boys went under water and never came up. After a 30 minute dive the bodies of the two victims were recovered by Water Policing and Diving Services members at a depth of around three metres and handed over to Zonkizizwe SAPS members for investigation.
Ekurhuleni Water Policing and Diving Services was called to a scene on Tuesday morning at corners Liverpool and Bradford Roads, Benoni. Three men from a plumbing company were allegedly missing after entering a sewage drainage manhole the night before at around 20:30.
In collaboration with Gauteng SAPS K9 Search and Rescue Units as well as Emergency Services the scene was assessed leading to three (03) sucker trucks attempting to suck the hole dry of the sewage waste. After all these attempts failed members had to consider other options of searching the sewerage that was around six metres into the manhole and around four metres deep. With a high level of methane gas and possibility of suction in the hole it was too dangerous to risk members entering without certainty of the victim’s whereabouts. With the use of an improvised tool lowered by a rope into the sewage members managed to locate the victims one at a time and bring them to the sewage surface level.
With Warrant Officer Chris Swanepoel (Ekurhuleni Water Policing and Diving Services) supervising the operation a tripod stand was rigged over the manhole. Using high angle rope techniques W/O Martin Bann (Ekurhuleni Water Policing and Diving Services) and W/O Len Willemse (Tshwane K9 Search and Rescue) wearing hazard material suits with breathing apparatus made turns being lowered into the hole and recovering the victim’s bodies.
The bodies of the victims were handed over to Benoni SAPS members for further investigation.
All role player members are thanked for the teamwork that led to the successful recovery of the victims.
Inquest dockets for these cases are currently under investigation. Individuals with information regarding these incidents are encouraged to contact the relevant SAPS station or Crime Stop at 08600 10111.