News24 | Family anguished as search continues for teen who went missing on Vaal River boat outing

17-year-old Thomas Junior Sithole went missing after falling off a boat during an outing with friends in the Vaal River.

• The family is deeply troubled by the five-hour delay between the teen’s disappearance and the reporting of the matter to the police, which they believe hindered efforts to locate him.
• Allegations of alcohol on the boat in the presence of minors have raised serious concerns about the supervision and safety measures during the outing.
• While search and rescue teams continue combing the river, the family is calling for truth, accountability and any information that might help bring them closure.

The family of Thomas Junior Sithole say they are living a nightmare as police continue searching the Vaal River for the teenager who went missing after falling off a boat during an outing with friends on Friday evening.

His family said unanswered questions have begun to weigh heavily on them – particularly around how the incident was handled and why his disappearance was not immediately reported to the police.

The 17-year-old vanished near the Stonehaven resort on Friday afternoon. His cousin, Sibongile Radebe, said the family was only alerted several hours later, a delay she believes robbed them of precious time to locate him.

“From what we understand, they were just meant to be out for a short excursion. The skipper of the boat was one of the boys’ fathers,” Radebe said.

She said the group stopped at Stonehaven to buy drinks before heading back onto the river.

READ | KZN mother’s heartbreaking plea as daughter, 7, goes missing for over a month

While some of the boys later claimed no alcohol was taken back onto the boat, she disputed this.

“There is footage of one of the boys holding alcohol as they get back onto the boat,” she said.

Radebe said the boat was relatively small, with most passengers initially seated at the front. At some point, the group decided to rearrange seating so others could take turns riding a jet ski.

“That’s when everything went wrong; when they drove off again, they realised Thomas was no longer on the boat,” she said.

The group allegedly turned back and searched near the resort but could not find him. Radebe said Thomas is believed to have fallen into the river at around 17:00 – yet the family was only informed at approximately 22:00.

She said:

Search and rescue teams were deployed over the weekend, but Thomas has not yet been found.

Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said the South African Police Service (SAPS) Water Wing and Search and Rescue Unit were continuing their efforts to locate the missing teen.

“Members of the South African Police Service Water Wing, Search and Rescue [Unit], are continuing with a search for a 17-year-old boy who is suspected to have fallen off a boat in the Vaal River on Friday evening,” Masondo said.

“The teenager was reported missing on Friday evening. Search and rescue teams were dispatched on Saturday and Sunday. The search is still under way.”

However, Radebe said the family’s distress was compounded by confusion over whether the incident had been formally reported to police.

“When we arrived at the scene on Saturday, there were police and divers, but no one was really talking to us. Later, we discovered that no missing persons case had actually been opened,” she said.

She said the family was first told at Vanderbijlpark SAPS that the matter fell outside its jurisdiction and should be handled in Sasolburg. When they travelled there, officers attempted to contact the boat’s skipper to clarify whether a case had been registered.

“He claimed a case existed but could not provide a case number. He said he would come to the station, but he never arrived,” Radebe said.

It was only in the early hours of Saturday morning, after the family returned to Vanderbijlpark SAPS, that a formal missing persons case was opened.

“That was the first moment we felt like this was finally being treated with the seriousness it deserved,” she said.

As search teams continued combing the river on Sunday, Radebe said the family was clinging to memories of the boy they know and love and may never see again.

“Thomas was a gorgeous, gorgeous child,” she said, her voice breaking. “He was humble, gentle and had such a beautiful spirit.”

She said he was popular at school and deeply loved by his friends and family.

“He loved people, and people loved him. That’s why this is so painful,” Radebe said.

The family has appealed to anyone with information about the incident to come forward as the search continues.

“This is about finding Thomas, but it’s also about truth and accountability. Our child deserves that much,” Radebe said.