CATTLE herder Molemo Koena (35) was sitting on top of a rock minding his business!
He noticed a group of boys taking off their clothes and getting ready to swim at a dam in Heidedal kasi, Free State, on Tuesday.
Knowing how dangerous the dam is, Molemo called out to the boys to stop!
They allegedly turned around, looked at him and laughed.
They then jumped into the dam and started swimming. But a few minutes later, the boys’ laughter had turned to panic and tears.
They could not see their nine-year-old friend who had been swimming with them.
He appeared to have disappeared in the dam. They got out of the water and ran to the boy’s home.
In no time the parents were back at the dam with the boys, but still his body was nowhere to be seen.
That is when the police divers were called to help search for the child.
His body was found hours later.
Molemo said: “I wish the boys had listened to me because all this could have been prevented. By the time this incident happened I was a bit far off. If I was nearer the dam I could have tried to help.”
Another witness said it was not the first time the boys had gone swimming in the dam.
“They always swim at this place. Every time I am around I chase them away.
“They run and hide behind the trees and when they see that you are not watching them, they go back again.
“It’s sad what has happened and I feel the family’s pain,” he said.
The boy’s family was too traumatised to speak. They could not believe their eyes and broke down while identifying the boy’s body.
Police spokesman Constable Mahlomola Kareli confirmed the incident. He said an inquest docket has been opened.
