Two boys, aged 13 and 16, from Daveyton Skills School drowned in the Hennops River near Centurion, north of Pretoria, during a school excursion on Monday afternoon.
The Tshwane emergency services department received a distress call at about 3:14 pm about the incident. Upon arrival at the location, they found that the boys had drowned.
Charles Mabaso, spokesperson for Tshwane Emergency Services, stated in a press release that the boys were engaged in a water activity as part of a school excursion before tragedy struck.
“Emergency services arrived on the scene to find that two boys aged between 13 and 16 years of age had drowned.
“It is alleged that the boys were engaged in a water activity as part of a school excursion,” the statement said.
Mabaso also disclosed that the South African Police Service (SAPS) had launched investigations into what caused the drowning.
“The bodies were recovered by the South African Police Services divers and were declared dead by paramedics on the scene. Circumstances leading to the drowning incident remain a subject of investigation by the SAPS.”
Meanwhile, it was alleged that one of the pupils had dashed towards a river near the campsite, prompting another pupil to follow in an attempt to intervene, which resulted in both students drowning.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane expressed his sadness over the incident, while extending condolences to families of the victims.
“We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate deaths of our learners during a school excursion. On behalf of the Department, we wish to extend our sincerest condolences to their respective families and the Daveyton Skills School community,” MEC Chiloane said.
He also mentioned that their Psycho-Social Support Unit would be dispatched to the school to provide necessary trauma support and counselling for learners.
Several tragic incidents involving students drowning have occurred recently, raising concerns about safety measures at educational institutions, especially during riverine activities.