Two students from Daveyton Skills School tragically lost their lives in a man-made dam at a private camping site close to the Hennops River outside Erasmia, Centurion while on a school trip on Monday, 15th April 2024.
Several Emergency Services received calls, alerting them to the drowning. Upon arrival, emergency responders discovered that two young boys, aged between 13 and 16, had perished in the water.
Despite extensive efforts by emergency dive teams, both boys could not be saved, and their bodies were retrieved by divers from the South African Police Services and were pronounced deceased by on-site paramedics.
The following services assisted on scene; Cert SA, Netcare911, Emer-G-Med (Pty) Ltd, Tshwane Emergency Services Department, Gauteng Emergency Medical Services, SAPS, Gauteng Traffic Police Helicopter, Monitor Net Fidelity ADT, SDS Protection, Emergency Services Chaplains, Trauma Troopers and Laudium Disaster Management.
Image: Cert-SA Facebook
Spokesperson from the Gauteng Department of Education, Steve Mabona mentioned that a Psycho-Social Support Unit will be sent to the school to provide necessary trauma assistance and counseling to other learners. "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our students during a school outing. On behalf of the Department, we offer our heartfelt condolences to their families and the Daveyton Skills School community."
The circumstances surrounding the tragic incident are currently under investigation by the SAPS.
