Heartbreak as search for Qolweni toddler ends in wetland drowning tragedy

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The body of the three-year-old Oratuwe Olumiyo Makeka was recovered from beneath some thick reeds in a wetland adjacent to a park near his home in Qolweni, at the entrance to New Horizons.

Due to the difficult conditions, the emer-gency teams had to use a honey sucker to retrieve his body from beneath the reeds and mud.

Tragedy
The tragedy unfolded on Friday 17 July after Oratuwe had gone to play with three other children in the neighbourhood.

His grandmother and caregiver, Christina Liziwe Futshane, realised he was missing and immediately raised the alarm. She said it was unlike Oratuwe to wander away from home, as he preferred playing indoors or close to the house.

She recalled that Oratuwe's six-year-old sibling had returned home soaking wet. When she asked what had happened, the child said they had been playing when someone threw water at them and they ran home, leaving Oratuwe behind.

"The children were not honest at first about where exactly they had been playing. I first went to another place where I thought there was water, but he was not there," she said. The search took a devastating turn when a young boy arrived carrying Oratuwe's shoes, saying he had found them near the wetland where the children had been playing.

Several community members joined the search. However, the wetland proved much deeper than it appeared, and the searchers found themselves submerged up to their shoulders.

Dense reeds, mud and poor visibility hampered their rescue efforts.

Emergency services, the South African Police Service, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and Bitou Municipality officials were called to assist. Both the NSRI and Bitou Municipality later confirmed the tragedy and the joint recovery operation that unfolded shortly after the fatal wetland drowning.

After about two hours, Oratuwe's body was found beneath thick reeds and mud. He was wearing only his trousers.

Father describes family's heartbreak
Oratuwe's father, Vuyisa Futshane (28), said he was at work when his son disappeared.

"I came home after 17:00 and heard the rumours that my son had gone missing. I immediately went to where they said he was last seen," he said.

Vuyisa said he went into shock on arriving at the scene and suffered an anxiety attack. "My whole body was shaking. I almost fainted. My mother and I were both in the ambulance when they recovered my son's body from the reeds."

The family identified Oratuwe's body at the forensic pathology services on Tuesday 21 July. Vuyisa, unemployed, said the family does not have a funeral policy and now faces the financial burden of laying the toddler to rest.

The family is consulting with Oratuwe's mother's family before finalising his funeral arrangements. He will be buried in the Eastern Cape. The family has appealed for public donations to assist with transporting Oratuwe's body and covering the funeral costs.

Calls for safer recreational space
The tragedy has renewed concerns about the safety of the open recreational land where the incident occurred.

The residents say it is the only area in which many local children can play, despite being situated alongside a road leading to the N2 with its regular passing traffic.

Community members have called for the area to be fenced or barricaded, and developed into a formal park. Following the tragedy, discussions around an adopt-a-park initiative have resurfaced.

A cultural village intended to serve as a recreational facility for children in Qolweni has also never materialised due to funding constraints.

A life cut tragically short: the three-year-old Oratuwe Olumiyo Makeka. Photo: Supplied