A 14-year-old boy from Old Pumula suburb in Bulawayo drowned shortly after rescuing a friend who had fallen into a pool on Saturday.
Preference Makuvaza drowned while swimming with friends in a pool formed by illegal sand abstraction near Robert Sinyoka Village. The incident occurred at around 1:30 pm on 21 March.
Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson for Bulawayo Province, said the tragedy began when one of Makuvaza’s friends, who had been sitting on a rock at the edge of the pit, slipped and fell into the deep water. Said Msebele:
“The now-deceased immediately jumped into the pool and pushed his friend towards the shallow end.”
While the friend was rescued, Makuvaza struggled to get out of the water and submerged before he could be saved.
Other juveniles at the scene ran to nearby St. Peter’s Village to alert residents. Villagers rushed to the site and retrieved Makuvaza’s body after the incident was reported to ZRP Pumula at around 2 pm.
Inspector Msebele urged members of the public to safeguard their children and discourage them from playing near water bodies, particularly during the rainy season.
More: ZimLive
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