North West police have issued a warning to parents, guardians and community members to closely monitor children around dams, rivers, swimming pools, lakes and bridges.
The caution follows a tragic incident in which two teenage girls drowned in a river at Moshava village near Zeerust.
According to police, officers were alerted to the drowning on Wednesday afternoon. Upon arrival at the scene, they were informed that three girls and two boys had gone swimming in the river. After entering the water, two of the girls struggled to swim back to safety.
“The two boys managed to rescue one girl and then went to the village to seek assistance. Police were subsequently notified and divers were called to the scene,” said police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sam Tselanyane.
On Thursday at about 10:15, the bodies of the two girls, aged 15 and 17, were recovered from the river. Tselanyane confirmed that an inquest docket has been opened at the Motswedi Police Station.
Meanwhile, Acting Provincial Commissioner Major General (Dr) Ryno Naidoo also urged members of the public to exercise extra caution and to avoid using rivers as recreational facilities, especially during the rainy season.
Naidoo warned that many people underestimate the speed and force of moving water, which can spread rapidly beyond riverbanks, adding that attempting to swim in such conditions can lead to immediate drowning.
