By Rangarirai Shanyurai
Drowning cases are alarmingly on the rise in the province, with the latest incident being a tragic case of a 17-year-old who drowned in Mkwasine while bathing in Tugwi River.
This heart-breaking incident highlights the need for increased awareness about water safety and prevention measures, especially in natural water bodies like rivers
The teen who was employed as a herd boy in Village 3 Angus Mkwasine drowned while bathing with his friends on May 11.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the incident where Luckson Muvoni (17) drowned and urged members of the public to avoid playing near water bodies.
“We have a case of drowning where a 17- year-old drowned in Tugwi River and I urge members of the public to avoid playing near water bodies without life savers,” said Dhewa.
On May 11 at around 1700 hours Muvoni and his two friends aged 16 and 11 went to Tugwi River for bathing. Upon arrival Muvoni jumped into the water and drowned.
His friends ran to the village and notified the village head and community members of the incident.
Villagers ran to the scene but they couldn’t find the deceased’s body.They came back the following day and found Muvoni’s body under the water. Police were notified and the body had no any injuries.
Muvoni’s body was taken to Chiredzi General Hospital for post-mortem.
According to global trends, drowning is one of leading cause of unintentional death, and rivers are a common location for such incidents.
