The body of Mbongi Hilton Esau (9) from Macassar was discovered in a river on Sunday, three days after he went missing while swimming with two of his friends.
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Residents of Macassar rallied on Saturday to search for Mbongi.
Police divers and a search dog were deployed to the scene on Saturday afternoon to continue the search efforts, according to Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie.
Mbongi had been reported missing by his family early Friday morning after he and his friends went for a swim. The friends led the police to the spot where he was last seen in the water.
Community leader Waseemah Flaendorp, chairperson of the Freedom of Speech non-profit organisation, recounted their efforts to find the boy but found no traces of him in the river or the vicinity.
The police questioned the boys on Friday to ascertain the events leading up to the disappearance. The boys informed the police that they had been playing in the area before going for a swim in the nearby river.
A community member volunteered to use a drone to assist in the search, but the murky water hindered their efforts. Eventually, a member of the community who had joined the search party discovered the boy’s body on Sunday afternoon.
An inquest has been initiated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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