DailySun
Pretoria – Police divers have retrieved the remains of a man who went missing on Christmas Eve from Hartbeespoort Dam’s lake.
The individual was fishing when he disappeared on Tuesday afternoon.
On Christmas Day, police divers, aided by NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam and the Strategic Rescue Unit, located and recovered the man’s body.
Arthur Crewe, the commander of the NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam station, reported: “At 16:14 on Tuesday, December 24, the NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam duty crew was activated following reports of a missing man among the hyacinth while fishing from a canoe near Kosmos, Hartbeespoort Dam.”
Crewe added: “The NSRI rescue vessel Sea Legs was dispatched, and rescue swimmers from NSRI, in conjunction with the SRU and SA Police Services, responded to the location.
“Despite extensive search efforts, no sign of the local man, who is believed to originate from Malawi, was found. Consequently, Police Water Policing and Diving Services joined the ongoing search operations.”
On Christmas Day at around 10:30, police divers, with assistance from NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam and SRU, successfully located and recovered the man’s body from the lake.
“The body has been handed over to the Police and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services,” stated Crewe.
An Inquest docket has been initiated by the authorities.
“Our heartfelt condolences are extended to the family and friends of the deceased,” Crewe added.
