Family grieving after Port St Johns boy swept away trying to cross flooded river

A 10-year-old boy from Ngxongweni village near Port St Johns is suspected to have drowned while trying to cross a flooded river in the Eastern Cape.

OR Tambo district municipality spokesperson Zimkhita Macingwane said the police K9 unit was assessing the possibility of a search for the child's body. He went missing on Tuesday.

“The preliminary report is that the body might have been swept from where the boy had drowned into the Umzimvubu River. The second rescue mission is going to focus near Port St Johns town, but the water levels are still very high.”

Macingwane said co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Xolile Nqatha and Port St Johns mayor Nomvuzo Mlombile-Cingoare were expected to visit the grieving family.

“The MEC went to visit the area of Greens Farm, which is the hardest-hit , and went by Second Beach to check the areas affected. He also made door stops at the municipal offices of Port St Johns as well as the [areas] that were flooded on Tuesday,” she said.

The municipality said on Wednesday that district disaster and risk management had spent the day assessing damage and distributing blankets and mattresses to people left homeless by the torrential rains.

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