Family tragedy as two kids drown in Moshupa
A family in Moshupa is mourning the deaths of two children who drowned while playing in a gully on Sunday. Both, aged six and seven, were pupils of Kebonekgotla Primary School.
The two boys, including one of their friends, are believed to have been trying to swim in stagnant pool of water when they drowned. This follows the heavy rains that swept through the village over the weekend.“The surviving friend panicked and went to call for help when he saw his mates unresponsive in water, but unfortunately, it was already too late,” said Moshupa Police Station Commander Superintendent, Oteng Nganda.
“They were not aware that the pool was deep. It is unfortunate that the family has lost two children in the incident,” he said. Prior to the said incident, Nganda had reported that on Friday, a four-year-old girl had also fallen in a pool of water not far from her house. “Luckily, the little girl was rescued by a passerby and is currently recovering at Kanye Seventh Day Adventist Hospital.”
He said both incidents are tragedies and a reminder that we should not be complacent but continue to work hard to prevent drowning. Nganda also urged parents in the area to keep watch over their children to avert such incidents especially during the rainy season.Experts said the drowning serves as a tragic reminder of the need for constant supervision of children around water.'Drowning is quick and silent,' said Dithuso Selepeng, Aqua Specialist, Paramedic and Coach at Beginners Swimming Academy, University of Botswana. “Young kids rarely make a big splash, thrash around, or scream for help like you see on TV. They usually fall in head first and sink to the bottom like a rock.
“A child who is underwater will lose consciousness after two minutes and suffer irreversible brain damage within four to six minutes,” he explained. Selepeng said poor supervision is usually to blame for most drownings. 'Everyone thinks, ‘It won't happen to me because I keep an eye on my children.’ But small children move fast and can fall into the water in the second it takes you to answer your cell phone or grab a towel,” he said.