UPDATED: Budiriro man and his three sons drown while attempting to drain well
In a sad development, a 63-year-old Budiriro man and his three adult sons died while they were attempting to drain the family water well. Cleopas Jokomera wanted to drain the 20 metre deep well using a water pump when he drowned.
His three adult sons also died after reportedly trying to save their father. Tom Jokomera was 34 years old, Cleopas Jokomera (Jnr) was 31 years old and Macliff Jokomera was 30 years old. As a result of this unfortunate incident, only two members of the Jokomela family are now surviving, from the 6 that were there only last week.
Grace Jokomera (57), the mother of the three deceased sons said:
I have been robbed of breadwinners, I am only left with one daughter and her baby; it is so painful.
We noticed that smoke from the water pump had engulfed the well and the sons drowned one by one in efforts to rescue their father.“Residents who used to fetch water from this well have been affected as well
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National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and urged people to consult experts before embarking on potentially dangerous tasks.
Investigations are being carried out and police are appealing to organisations and individuals to engage experts after a thorough analysis to drain water in any area to avoid such mishaps
Update
The deceased are suspected to have inhaled carbon dioxide from the water pump. They suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning which resulted in them losing consciousness and drowning.
Zimbabwe Republic Police chief national spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the deaths saying:
According to investigations, the family was trying to drain water from a well using a pump which could have released carbon monoxide and they inhaled it. They died one after the other while trying to rescue each other
…In a statement to the police, the neighbour said he did not know how he came out of the well alive. He said he became weak and dizzy as he went down the well
Witnesses who spoke to the Herald said:
He (Macliff ) went in first and then he complained that he was feeling weak while frothing before falling into the well,
His other brother, Tom also got into the well to rescue him and complained of the same problem before falling into the well as well.
The other brother, Cleopas (Jnr) followed trying to rescue them again but succumbed to the same gas before their father also went in and also died.
More: H-Metro, Herald
