Durban — A 13-year-old girl drowned while allegedly playing in the Umlazi River with her friends.
On their X (formerly Twitter) account, the SAPS said that SAPS Search-and-Rescue divers from Durban and Pietermaritzburg along with Durban K9 Search and Rescue were called out to Mpumalanga where a 13-year-old girl who drowned was recovered in the Umlazi River.
Police said that the Mi7 National Group responded to assist and K9 Ghost was used to conduct a surface search in the area and made a positive indication. An inquest docket was opened at Mpumalanga SAPS, police said.
#sapsKZN #SAPS #SearchAndRescue Divers from Durban and Pietermaritzburg along with DBN #K9SAR were called out to Mpumalanga where a 13yr-old female drowning victim was recovered in the Umlazi River. Mi7 Medical Rescue responded to assist. #K9 Ghost was utilised to conduct a… pic.twitter.com/63blJlxKJM
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) November 23, 2023
In a statement, the Mi7 National Group said that the girl drowned while playing with friends in the Umlazi River last Wednesday.
The Mi7 National Group said that its Emergency Medical Services located at the Hibiscus Hospital Cato Ridge base, were dispatched to the Mpumalanga area near Hammarsdale.
It said that SAPS divers from Durban, Pietermaritzburg Search-and-Rescue officers and Durban SAPS K9 Search-and-Rescue teams were en route to a case where a 13-year-old girl was believed to have drowned.
The Mi7 National Group said it is suspected that the teen was playing in the river with friends when she drowned.
“Police teams scoured the area, and eventually, a K9 officer indicated an area where the girl could potentially be located. Diving teams then got to work and managed to locate the teen’s body,” the Mi7 National Group said.
“The body was recovered after having to traverse 1km of rugged terrain. Mi7 medics conducted an assessment and declared her deceased. The matter was handed over to Mpumalanga police for further investigation. We pass our condolences to the loved ones of the deceased.”
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