A swimming expedition by three Rusape 15-year-old school boys ended tragically after one of them failed to swim and drowned in Rusape River last Saturday afternoon.
Livingstone Marufu of Mabvazuva high-density suburb a Form Two pupil at St Joseph’s High School was swimming in the company of his friends and classmates, Isaac Jangano and Prosper Muza when tragedy struck.
The young trio was swimming near the gauges of Rusape Dam where there is a footpath that people uses to cross the river when it is not flooded.
Witnesses said when Isaac and Prosper discovered that Livingstone was drowning they called for help and some members of the public attempted to rescue him, but in vain as they claimed that ‘they were also being pulled by something in the water.’
Rusape District police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Muzondiwa Clean, confirmed the incident and warned members of the public against swimming in rivers and also against crossing rivers on undesignated areas.
“Livingstone Marufu went to Rusape River to swim together with his friends, Isaac Jangano and Prosper Muza on Saturday around 3pm. When they were swimming, Livingstone went to the deepest part and failed to swim and drowned.
“Police Sub-aqua Unit retrieved his body on Sunday morning. We continue to urge members of the public not to swim in rivers and to use bridges when crossing rivers,” he said.
The drowning of Livingstone comes barely a month after a decomposed body of a suspected vagrant was discovered by fisherman in the same river, fuelling speculation that there were mermaids in the river.
According to some senior citizens in the town, not even a single female has drowned in the river, fuelling speculation that the mermaid is female.State Media