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Police divers retrieved the bodies from the irrigation dam in Jim se Bos informal settlement, and an inquest docket has been opened.
Fani Mahuntsi/Gallo Images via Getty Images
- Two boys, aged 9 and 12, drowned in a dam in Philippi on Sunday while trying to cool off during Cape Town’s heat.
- Police divers retrieved the bodies from the irrigation dam in Jim se Bos informal settlement, and an inquest docket has been opened.
- Community members clashed with authorities at the scene, while the CPF warned that the dam is dangerous and not meant for swimming.
The bodies of two young boys have been retrieved from a dam in Philippi after they drowned while trying to cool off in Cape Town’s heat on Sunday.
The children, aged 9 and 12, were recovered from the water in Jim se Bos informal settlement in Olieboom Road by police divers.
Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed an inquest docket was being investigated.
According to police, the boys had gone for a swim during the hot weather, unaware that the body of water was unsafe for human use.
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Mitchells Plain police commissioner Brigadier Brian Muller described the heartbreaking circumstances.
“It was very hot on Sunday, and we understand that the boys wanted to cool off in the dam. When they wanted to get out, they got into difficulty, which unfortunately cost them their young lives,” he said.
“The police’s investigations into this unfortunate incident continue.”
The children are from the Philippi area.
Philippi Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Weldon Cameron said the incident had left the community shaken.
“We understand that after the police and emergency services arrived at the scene, a large group of residents gathered and started attacking the [authorities]. The residents felt that police and emergency services were taking too long to retrieve the boys’ bodies,” Cameron said.
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He warned residents that the dam was not suitable for swimming and was primarily being used for irrigation by farmers.
“No one is allowed to swim in that dam as it is very dangerous. And we again plead with the community to refrain from letting children walk alone without supervision,” Cameron said.
