Two men drown, attempting to rescue sinking cow

A search party has been launched in Makhakavhule area where two men drowned when their inflatable boat capsized in uMzingwane River this morning.

Two others managed to swim to safety and the villagers are now looking for two others down stream. The area is located 25 km west of Beitbridge town.

“Searches are now underway. The river started swelling midweek covering the bridge which links us with the town.

“The two men were part of four people who wanted to rescue a cow from the river when the boat overturned two metres into the waters,” said a witness Wellington Mudyawabikwa.

uMzingwane River is downstream the overflowing Zhovhe Dam, which supplies Beitbridge, town with water.

In Matebeleland North, the Zimbabwe Republic Police Sub Aqua Unit two days ago, retrieved the bodies of three boys aged 12, 14 and 16 who drowned in the Gwayi River in Tsholotsho.

The boys were from Ward 22 under Chief Magama.

They went fishing and decided to take a swim resulting in the unfortunate drowning.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Nick Mangwana confirmed the incident;

“Yesterday afternoon, the ZRP Sub Aqua Unit retrieved the bodies of three boys aged 12, 14 and 16 who drowned in the Gwayi River in Tsholotsho.

“They were from Ward 22 under Chief Magama. They went fishing and decided to take a swim resulting in the unfortunate drowning.”

Meanwhile, members of the community recently teamed up to search for the body of Enoch Nkomo, who was swept away while trying to cross the flooded same Gwayi River.

Mangwana said some members of the police sub aqua unit who came to search for the body abandoned the search.

He explained the rational behind abandoning the search saying that when the prospects of finding someone are very remote then a rational decision has to be made to deploy resources where there is a chance of rescue or recovery.

The police say cases of drowning are prevalent during the rain season and, the ZRP is on record urging members of the public against playing, or trying to cross flooded rivers.

-Zwnews/ The Herald