A 22-year-old man has died a hero after drowning during an attempt to save the life of a friend, who had been struggling to stay afloat in a dam in Kamesh, Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape, S.A.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the province, the two friends went swimming in the dam in Lapland on Saturday, 31 October 2020, between 11:00-13:15. It is believed that the victim, Lewellan van Rooyen and his 16-year-old buddy had grown tired after spending some time in the water.
Things then took a scary turn when the teenager started screaming for help when he struggled to navigate in the water, prompting Van Rooyen to bolt into action in an attempt to save his friend – however after managing to get his friend to safety, he himself then struggled to stay above water and eventually drowned.
His body was later recovered by police divers.
The police in the province have since opened an inquest docket into the tragedy.
