“It is such a sad day for us – this is our Grade 11 yearly outing and learners were supposed to go down the river today, but they are now on their way back to Windhoek.” – Berdine Beukes
Matheus Hamutenya
Keetmanshoop-A school tour unexpectedly turned into a tragedy when a St George’s Diocesan School pupil drowned in the Orange River on Sunday, resulting in a search for the body that lasted late into the night, according to a source privy to information on the incident.
A group of Grade 11 learners from the Windhoek school, in the company of their teachers, arrived at Felix Unite Camp at Noordoewer in the //Kharas Region on Sunday afternoon. But the boy got swept away in the river when he reportedly went for a swim.
The //Kharas acting crime investigations coordinator, Detective Chief Inspector Coleen Brandt, confirmed the incident, adding that it was reported to the police at about 17h30 on Sunday.
She said although the police quickly got to action to try and find the body, it was already getting dark and the corpse was only retrieved yesterday at about 06h00.
She identified the deceased as 17-year-old Tunga Kakololo.
St George’s deputy head Berdine Beukes described the incident as unfortunate, adding that the entire school is saddened by the death of the learner.
She said the trip to the Orange River is an annual one on the school calendar for all Grade 11 learners, and learners usually go canoeing.
She confirmed that the tour was immediately cancelled.
“It is such a sad day for us – this is our Grade 11 yearly outing and learners were supposed to go down the river today, but they are now on their way back to Windhoek.”