The Provincial Commissioner of the Free State of South Africa, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane, has admonished parents to educate their children on the need to avoid diving into dams or heavy flowing rivers without supervision.
Bibian Anekwe News understands that the warning was coming following a report that three members of a Church in Bethlehem, Eastern Free State province, drowned during a baptism service during the last weekend.
It was reported that the victims, two males aged 24 and 25, and a female, 24, drowned at Liebenbergvlei dam near Bethlehem on Saturday, 21 November 2020.
Reports confirmed that the adults who droned during the baptismal program were members of of the Botshabelo Church. However, the body of the female has been retrieved by Lejweleputswa District K9 Search and Rescue team, while the search for the other two men is said to be halted as a result of the current bad weather conditions and heavy water flow in the damn.
Reacting to the incident, Motswenyane admonished residents of the community to exercise special care and caution in isolated dams and rivers especially after heavy rains.
He said, “We also urge parents to sensitize children to refrain from swimming in dams unsupervised, or crossing rivers with heavy flowing waters or strong current.”
In other news a few weeks ago, Bibian Anekwe News reported that three children of police officers drowned away in a pool at the Eket barracks in Akwa Ibom State.
