The body of a 54-year-old man who went missing at Hazelmere Dam has been found after a thorough five-day search operation that involved various emergency and law enforcement agencies.Tony Govender’s body was discovered on Tuesday morning after a detailed search led by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Metro Police Search and Rescue teams.
The search began on Friday when Govender vanished while swimming in the dam.Reports indicate that Govender was celebrating his 54th birthday with friends when a jet ski floated away on the water. He reportedly entered the dam to retrieve the watercraft but did not return, leading to an urgent search and rescue operation.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) initially sent a helicopter to try to find and rescue Govender before it was confirmed that he had drowned. At his family’s request, the helicopter was redeployed on Saturday to perform an aerial search of the nearby area.Family members stayed at the dam during the recovery operation, hoping for answers as search teams scoured the water.
Authorities have expressed their condolences to the family. The circumstances of the incident are still under investigation as officials seek to determine the precise cause of the drowning.
Email: motshwari@onenews.co.za
