BULAWAYO – A 14-year-old boy from Pumula Old suburb in Bulawayo died a hero on Saturday after rescuing a friend from drowning, only to be swallowed by the water moments later.
Police confirmed the death of Preference Makuvaza, who drowned while swimming with friends in a pool formed by illegal sand abstraction near Robert Sinyoka Village.
The incident occurred at around 1:30PM on March 21.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said the tragedy unfolded when one of Makuvaza’s friends, who had been sitting on a rock at the edge of the pit, slipped and fell into the deep water.
“The now-deceased immediately jumped into the pool and pushed his friend towards the shallow end,” said Msebele.
While the friend was saved, Makuvaza reportedly struggled to get out of the water and submerged before he could be rescued.
Other juveniles who were at the scene ran to nearby St Peters Village to alert residents. Villagers rushed to the scene and retrieved the body after the incident was reported at ZRP Pumula at around 2PM.
Illegal sand poaching has left several peri-urban areas around Bulawayo dotted with deep, unmarked pits which fill with water during the rainy season, posing a serious danger to residents, particularly children.
In recent years, authorities have repeatedly warned about the dangers of open pits created by illegal sand abstraction, which have been blamed for a string of drowning incidents in and around the city.
Similar cases have been recorded in high-density suburbs where children frequent these sites for swimming, often unaware of sudden drop-offs and unstable ground.
Residents have also raised concern over the slow pace of rehabilitation of abandoned pits, with many left unfenced and unmarked despite posing a known hazard.
“We urge members of the public to safeguard their children and discourage them from playing near water bodies, especially during the rainy season,” Msebele said.
The post Bulawayo teen, 14, drowns after rescuing friend from sand abstraction pit appeared first on Zimbabwe News Now.