Quiet morning at the dam as last body is found

KAGISO SEKOKONYANE
Staff Writer | Monday August 20, 2012 00:00

 

On this Sunday morning, the place looks deserted with only a few people on site. This is a different picture altogether from what it has been for the last 13 days. The same atmosphere replays itself at the main entrance as there are only two security guards when yours truly arrives at around 8.50am for the normal morning press briefings scheduled for 9am.

After a short wait, WUC and police cars arrive at the gate and proceed to the site where the search team has camped. The head of the search party, Naledi Police Station commander, King Tshebo, arrives later and instructs that the press follow him to the campsite.

Upon arriving at the dam, a few people can be spotted a little far away from where the press conference takes place. Tshebo, accompanied by WUC public relations manager, Matida Mmipi and three other officers come to address the media.Tshebo, without wasting time confirms that the last of the three WUC employees who were feared drown were retrieved from the dam on Saturday afternoon at around 3.20pm. He is identified as a 46 year-old man from Ramotswa. His name is still withheld. Tshebo explains that unlike the other two who were found in the middle of the water, this one was found at the bottom of the dam. Like the others he was intact with his clothes on. It was expected that a postmortem would be conducted yesterday.

What now remains for Tshebo and his team is to locate the boat which the three men were using on the day they perished. Tshebo insists that it is important that they find the boat because it forms an important part of their investigations. He also confirms that they found a boat paddle next to where they retrieved the third body.

Mmipi chips in and confirms that the Ramotswa-born employee was positively identified by his relatives and that they duly went to Ramotswa on Saturday to break the sad news to the family and attended the evening prayers.

Now that the three employees are found, Tshebo reveals details of their plan for the search party. Whereas some people may have been thinking that the search party was clueless about the search, the reverse is true.

Tshebo also reveals that WUC had confirmed that there are crocodiles in the dam but said they could not give out this information as it would scare the divers.

With the mission almost accomplished, Tshebo paid tribute to his team for their selfless dedication in the last two weeks. He also thanked WUC for all the support they provided as well as the Yacht Club for their contribution.