A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded at the Vals River in Bothaville, Free State, when two young girls lost their lives in a drowning incident. The ordeal began on Tuesday, January 16, when the girls, aged 7, 10, and 11, went missing after being swept away by strong water currents while playing by the river. Their friend, the last person to see them, alerted authorities, and an immediate search was launched.
The search efforts were intense, with police divers scouring the area for hours in an attempt to locate the girls. While one of the victims, an 11-year-old, managed to cling to a tree stem, the other two, tragically, were swept away. Despite the best efforts of the rescue teams, the bodies of the two younger girls remained elusive for days.
On Thursday, the search was intensified with the assistance of the Free State Airwing Unit, which brought additional support in hopes of recovering the missing children. After two days of uncertainty, the bodies of the 7-year-old and 10-year-old were finally located and recovered from the river. Emergency personnel confirmed their deaths at the scene.
While the families of the victims have been informed, they have requested that the names of the girls be withheld at this time. The authorities have since opened an inquest to investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident, hoping to shed light on how such a devastating event unfolded.
As the community comes to terms with this heartbreaking loss, the focus now turns to understanding what happened and how similar tragedies might be prevented in the future.
