BLOEMFONTEIN – Police divers have recovered the body of Benjamin van Wyk from the Witherow quarry in Heidedal seven days after he tragically drowned in the deep blue waters while swimming. The body was retrieved around 12:20 today, Thursday, 23 October, after the search had been called off on Friday.
The man-made hole has been dubbed the Quarry of Death due to the drowning of multiple people, of all ages, over the years.
The recovery of Benjamin’s body has brought a sense of relief to his grief-stricken parents and the entire community of Heidedal.
“We are relieved as the family that Benjamin’s body has been found. We are thankful to every person who has been supporting us, including the police members who retrieved the body. We have been receiving messages of support during this extremely difficult period,” says Llowallen Minnie, his father.
Hamlet Scheepers, member of the Heidedal Neighbourhood Association, has also expressed relief that the victim’s body was recovered.
“We appreciate every effort towards assisting with the recovery of the body of Benjamin. I have been coming to this quarry from the first day upon hearing about the tragedy, monitoring and hoping to see the body floating – this was my duty as a member of the association. We are now working towards closing this tragic chapter by arranging Benjamin’s funeral,” Scheepers says.
The frantic search was initially delayed on the first day due to poor light conditions. Police members of the Welkom Diving unit continued their work the second day – Friday, 17 October – but were also unable to retrieve the body, despite employing various search measures.
Sgt. Mahlomola Kareli, provincial spokesperson for the Free State police, said divers had worked throughout the seach period to the point where it was determined that Benjamin’s body may have been carried by currents or moved to a deeper section of the quarry. The deeper section is estimated to extend to approximately 50m deep. An inquest docket was opened to investigate the young man’s drowning.
According to information received, Benjamin and two companions went to the quarry to swim. He was quickly overwhelmed after he jumped into the water, and subsequently drowned.
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