Three young boys drowned in the Vaal Dam at Deneysville on the Free State side when they got into difficulties while swimming on Saturday afternoon, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.
NSRI Vaal Dam duty crew were activated at 12.45pm following reports of a drowning in progress at Ratepayers Bay, Deneysville, Vaal Dam, NSRI Vaal Dam station commander Jake Manten said on Sunday.
"On arrival at the scene, a search commenced, including NSRI rescue swimmers conducting free-dive search efforts for three male children, aged seven, eight, and nine, who were missing in the water, after they and another male child had been swimming. The three got into difficulty and disappeared under water. Nearby fishermen had raised the alarm," he said.
Police divers conducted a scuba dive search and located and recovered the bodies of the three missing children. The fourth boy, the brother of the eight-year-old, was not injured.
Police have opened an inquest docket.
