A man believed to be in his mid-40s was found trapped in tree branches in the Caledon River.
UNIDENTIFIED man’s body pulled from the Caledon River on Sunday, 10 May.
The man, believed to be in his mid-40s, was wearing blue overalls and was barefoot when he was found trapped in tree branches.
The drama started at around 6.40pm on Saturday evening, 9 May, when a shepherd herding his cattle spotted something floating in the water.
The shocked man immediately alerted police at the Ficksburg Community Service Centre.
The Phuthaditjhaba Police Search and Rescue Unit rushed to the scene but were met with extreme challenges. The light was fading fast, and the water was flowing dangerously high.
The brave divers decided to wait until daybreak on Sunday before attempting the recovery.
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Working in the forceful current, the team battled for hours before successfully pulling the body out at around 1.40pm.
Free State police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thabang Lesia praised the divers for their courage.
“These divers often operate in near-zero visibility and freezing, turbulent waters, risking their own safety to fulfill a sacred duty: Returning the remains of loved ones to their families so they may find peace and begin the process of mourning,” said Lesia.
The victim had no visible injuries on his body. Police said anyone with information about the man’s identity should come forward.
The Caledon River, which forms a natural border between the Free State and Lesotho, has claimed many lives over the years.
In January 2021, five Basotho migrants drowned while trying to cross illegally into South Africa using inflated mattresses and tyre tubes during flooding.