Two learners from the Daveyton Skills School drowned on the Hennops River near Centurion during a school excursion. Picture: Supplied by Tshwane EMS
Two Gauteng learners from the Daveyton Skills School in Benoni drowned in the Hennops River near Centurion during a school excursion on Monday afternoon.
Tshwane Emergency Services spokesperson Thabo Mabaso said they received a call after 3pm about drowning incident.
“Emergency Services arrived on the scene to find that two boys aged between 13 years and 16 years of age had drowned. It is alleged that the boys were engaged in a water activity as part of a school excursion,’’ Mabaso said.
He added that their bodies were recovered by the South African Police Services (SAPS) divers and were declared dead by paramedics on the scene.
“Circumstances leading to the drowning incident remain a subject of investigation by the SAPS,” Mabaso added.
SAPS members were not immediately available to comment on the incident.
In January, in a similar incident, Latoya Temilton, a Grade 7 learner from Laerskool Queenswood, drowned while on a leadership camp at the Wag ‘n Bietjie Resort in Witkoppen.
A law firm probing her death has advised her parents to charge the school principal and teachers for failing to care for the learner while in their care.
Investigations revealed that the pool at the campsite was unsuitable for children and there were no teachers or lifeguards on duty, despite indications that Latoya could not swim.
Nchupetsang Attorneys' investigation into the tragic incident at the leadership camp revealed several shortcomings in the planning and execution of the excursion.
The legal team identified several consistent facts during their interviews; that the camp where the incident occurred was designated as a leadership camp for the 2024 prefects organised by the school, the camp featured a swimming pool, which was included in the programme provided to parents on the day of the camp; however, it didn't seem suitable for children, lacking safety measures such as life jackets or lifeguards.
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