Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe — By A Correspondent | ZimEye | A heroic woman who saved a young boy from drowning in Chinhoyi last Friday is now facing harassment on WhatsApp, accused by some of failing to assist the child properly, despite her life-saving efforts.
In an interview with ZimEye, the woman recounts the events of the day, detailing how she had gone to wash clothes by the river when the tragedy unfolded. “I had hired a car to go wash clothes at the river. While we were washing, people were swimming nearby. That’s when someone alerted me to the drowning boy,” she said.
According to her account, the boy, who couldn’t swim, got into trouble in a deep section of the river. Initially, the people present did not seem to take the situation seriously. It was only after one of the children pointed to the spot where the boy had gone under that she rushed over and raised the alarm.
“My brother helped pull him out, and I immediately asked people to pump water out of his lungs. Thankfully, the child responded and released water,” she said. The woman then arranged for a car to rush the boy to a nearby hospital, even paying for the transport herself.
However, despite her selfless actions, she has since become the target of online harassment. After sharing a video in a WhatsApp group in an attempt to help identify the boy and get further assistance, some members of the group began to accuse her of standing by and recording the incident instead of helping.
“They started saying I took a video while the child was drowning. After all I did, people are now saying this to me,” she said, visibly distraught. The woman stressed that the clip circulating on WhatsApp is out of context and fails to show her full efforts in saving the boy.
The boy, who was transferred to Harare for further medical treatment, is now recovering, though he is reportedly experiencing complications such as vomiting blood and chest issues.
Despite the ordeal, the woman remains focused on the boy’s recovery but is deeply hurt by the unfounded accusations. “Someone shared a short clip that doesn’t explain what really happened, and now people are saying I should be attacked. But surely, what did I do wrong?”
The woman cannot be named due to the difficult situation she’s found herself in.
The accusers did not immediately provide comment.
Authorities have not yet commented on the incident, and the boy’s condition is being closely monitored in Harare.
This case highlights the double-edged nature of social media, where well-meaning efforts can quickly be misrepresented, leading to public shaming and harassment.- ZimEye. VIDEO BELOW
TRANSCRIPT: This incident happened in Chinhoyi on Friday. I didn’t have data on the day. I was thinking this boy is from Chinhoyi. We were washing water in the river. I had hired a car to go to wash clothes in the river.
While we were washing there were people swimming, that’s when someone took me to this place. This boy was sat down. He couldn’t swim. He then drowned
There were people looking for him, and they appeared like they are joking. One of them said there is a child who has drowned.
That is when I moved over to the spot and found it was a deep spot and one of the kids said to me, Sisi, the person is there.
I then screamed out asking for people to pull him out. My brother is the one who then worked to help pull him out.
I then asked for people to pump water out. The child released water.
Someone came with a car we later hired. I paid money. We then took the child to the nearby hospital.
I then forwarded the video in a WhatsApp group calling for people to help identify the child but also where some people started insulting me saying I didn’t assist in pulling the child. They started saying this mother took a video while the child was struggling drowning. After all I did, people are now saying all this to me.
This child is now recovering and I followed up on him the following day; he is now vomitting blood. He has a chest problem. This child is in Harare.
But there is someone who put a short clip of this footage in the WhatsApp group that has no context and some people are saying people should pursue me and attack me. But surely what did I do wrong?