ONGWEDIVA – The body of the 23-year-old Chinese businessman from Oshakati who drowned in the Kunene River at Ruacana’s Tjipahuriro camping site, was recovered yesterday.
A joint team of Chinese nationals, Nampower officials from Ruacana and members of the Omusati Regional Police spent almost three days along the river searching for the remains of Wang Zongzhi.
According to the police, Zongzhi was standing in the water with his friends when a strong current swept him away.
It is alleged that 11 Chinese businessmen from Oshakati, Okalongo and Outapi had travelled to Ruacana to relax along the river.
The rest of the party of Chinese nationals camped along the banks of the river until their colleague’s body was retrieved, and were actively involved in the search by trawling the river with hooks and lines attached to canoes.
The Public Relations Officer of the Omusati Regional Police, Warrant Lineekela Shikongo, told New Era the body was found yesterday at about 12h00 a few metres from where the victim drowned.
Shikongo thanked the Nampower management at Ruacana for the logistics and personal support they rendered the police and Zongzhi’s relatives in the search for the body.
Shikongo warned people to respect the warning signs at the riverside.
“There are warning signs at the riverside and people must stick to the warnings,” Shikongo warned.
He further explained that the Kunene River is dangerous and has no safe area for swimming and partying.
Shikongo said that apart from the strong currents, the river is also infested with dangerous crocodiles which can attack visitors.
Zongzhi is said to be the second person to have died in the river in the past two years.
In 2012, a local tourist allegedly drowned while spending some leisure time with his friends. The only parts of the body that were discovered were the torso and legs.