A heartbreaking discovery was made in the Ngqeleni area of the Eastern Cape when the body of a 22-month-old toddler, reported missing on Monday, was found in a nearby river. The child, identified as Amamkele Lishushu Mpetha, went missing around 8 a.m. from his home, where he was under the care of his grandmother.
According to Eastern Cape police spokesperson Captain Welile Matyolo, the grandmother noticed the toddler was missing and immediately began searching for him, enlisting the help of neighbors. Despite their efforts, the boy could not be found. On Thursday, police recovered the toddler’s body from a nearby river, and his family positively identified him.
This tragic incident echoes a similar case from December last year when the body of a missing two-year-old boy was found in a river leading to the Hartbeespoort Dam. Family members last saw the child playing near a field close to the river, but when he failed to return home, the alarm was raised.
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) reported that an extensive search was conducted in both cases, involving police helicopters and divers. “During the search operation, the body of the child was located and recovered from the river by police divers,” the NSRI stated.
These tragedies have left the communities in mourning and have raised concerns about child safety in rural areas. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the toddlers’ deaths and urge families to remain vigilant.
