BULAWAYO, Mar. 23 (NewsDay Live) – Residents are mourning the death of a 14-year-old boy who drowned while attempting to rescue his friend from an open pit in Pumula suburb on Saturday.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed receiving a report of sudden death.
“On March 21 at around 1:30pm, the now deceased, Preference Makuvaza, and his friends were swimming in a pool of water formed from illegal sand excavation in a bushy area near Robert Sinyoka Village. One of his friends, who was sitting on a rock at the edge of the pit, slipped into the pool and began to drown,” Msebele said.
She said the boy immediately jumped into the water and pushed his friend towards the shallow end.
“The boy (now deceased), who remained in the pool, then tried to swim out but failed and began to drown. After failing to locate him and realising he had submerged, his friends ran to St Peters Village to alert residents,” she said.
Msebele added that later that day, at around 2pm, a report was made to the police and the body was retrieved.
The incident comes barely a month after reports that two 11-year-old girls drowned in the same disused illegal pits in Pumula.
“We urge members of the public to safeguard their children by ensuring they do not play near water bodies or flooded rivers, especially during the rainy season,” she said.
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