BLOEMFOTNEIN: The drowning of Benjamin van Wyk (20) in the Witherow quarry in Heidedal extends the list of victims who tragically perish while attempting to swim in the still and deep blue waters. The body has not surfaced yet five days after the victim drowned at daytime on Thursday, 16 October.
The Bloemfontein police called off an intensive search after divers were unable to retrieve the victim’s body. The frantic search was initially delayed on the first day due to poor light conditions. Police divers from the Welkom Diving unit were 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 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.
Kareli said that the police had been monitoring developments at the quarry.
An inquest docket was opened for an investigation into the young man’s drowning. Kareli said 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 tragically drowned.
The man-made hole has been dubbed the Quarry of Death due to the drowning of multiple people, of all ages. While the exact number is unconfirmed, community activists estimate that nearly 50 people, mostly young ones, have drowned in the quarry over the years.
In fact, a memorial service was held in June 2024 for the “49 unconfirmed deaths by drowning” victims −dating back to 2000. The event had been organised by Heidedal community activists as part of Youth Day commemoration on 16 June.
The growing list include Dustin Kukari and Reginald Manie Ruiters. Some of the victims drowned during fishing activity. Other bodies discovered are believed to have been disposed of in the blue waters, having been murdered elsewhere.
The quarry remans a long-standing danger for the residents of Heidedal. Despite community calls and petitions over the years, the quarry remains unfenced and unrehabilitated, with illegal dumping and criminal activities also occurring in the area.
The quarry, located approximately 500m from the nearest residential area, has been in existence since the 1970s. It has emerged that it began as a venture for making tiles and bricks by Tongaat Hullets during that period. The man-made hole is located on privately-owned land of 112ha.
It seems no concerted measures have been implemented to prevent further tragedies. The absence of a functional local swimming pool, combined with Bloemfontein’s sweltering summers, drives children to the quarry’s deadly waters, while its unsecured state has also fostered criminal activity.
This Quarry of Death is a hub for crime, including rape, robberies, murders and drug dealings.
