The Gauteng Department of Education on Monday confirmed the death of a Grade 6 learner from Refalotse Primary school, who drowned during a school trip on Friday.
According to the department, the grade 6 learners travelled to a resort on Friday – in the company of teachers and some parents. Upon arrival, it is believed that the learners were assembled for a formal ceremony and to have lunch thereafter.
Following their lunch, learners prepared for their swimming activities under the supervision of the educators and parents.
It is alleged that educators and parents were alerted by other learners that one of their peers had drowned and was unresponsive in one of the swimming pools.
Educators are said to have immediately taken the learner out of the pool and tried to resuscitate him, while waiting for emergency and police to respond.
Upon arrival, the learner was certified dead by paramedics.
The department said police are investigating the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
Gauteng education MEC, Matome Chiloane, expressed his deepest condolences to the family of the learner.
“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of one of our learners. We extend our deepest condolences to the learner’s family and the community at large, said MEC Chiloane.
The MEC is scheduled to visit the family of the deceased on Tuesday.
This is one of several drownings of learners during school trips.
In March this year, two boys from the Hoërskool Birchleigh in Grade 10 and 12, drowned while on a beach trip in Durban. They were in the city on a rugby tour. Their bodies were found the next day.
In October this year, Michael Modisakeng, a grade 11 pupil at Amohelang Mokoena in the North West, drowned while attending a life skills peer education seminar for boys at a hotel near Rustenburg.
Parktown Boys’ High School saw Grade 8 pupil, Enoch Mpianzi, drown and die during an orientation camp at Nyati Bush and River Break lodge near Brits in Northwest back in 2020. His death caused a huge uproar at the time.
Also in 2020, Keamohetswe Seboko’s body was found floating in the swimming pool at Laerskool Bekker in Magalieberg.
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