Zoutnet
 
 

ADVERTISEMENT:

 

Mr Carl Henning with Mr Thomas Mudau, who points to the spot where Mr Masungwini drowned.

Farmer helps to recover body of drowned man

 

News  Date: 26 September 2008

 

Tragedy struck at the Mavungeni community dam near Vleifontein on Tuesday, September 16, when a man drowned while netting for fish.

The 30-year-old Mr Patrick Masungwini drowned whilst trying to drag a net across the dam. From the account given by the deceased’s friends, it is alleged that Mr Masungwini was swimming across the dam, pulling a net for the catching of barbel. The dam is heavily infested with water lilies and reeds and the deceased appeared to have run into trouble in about the middle of the dam. The deceased’s accomplices said that he just disappeared from sight at about 12:00 without making any sound.

At about 17:00, Mr Thomas Mudau, security manager at Mununzwu Newco near Elim, came to hear of the drowning and was informed that police scuba divers would only be able to arrive the following morning. Mr Mudau then contacted Mr Carl Henning, CEO of Mununzwu Newco, who also happens to be a qualified scuba diver. Mr Henning was informed that the bereaved family of the deceased had requested assistance in retrieving the body.

At about 17:30, Mr Henning entered the water, wearing a lifejacket, and retrieved the body of Mr Masungwini, which he found two metres under the surface. A spokesman for the family members, who had by now arrived in large numbers, were extremely thankful for the assistance offered by Mr Henning and were grateful not to have spent a cold evening next the dam waiting for the police divers. Mr Henning said that he was glad he was wearing his lifejacket, as the dam was heavily clogged up with reeds and swimming was made very difficult.

 

Written by

 

ADVERTISEMENT:

 

Recent Headlines