A family recreational boating weekend ended in tragedy as two of the family members were killed in a boating accident on Midmar Dam in the Kwazulu Natal Province of South Africa on Sunday.
The Van Heerden family were spending a day on Midmar Dam as they did every weekend when the boat suddenly capsized, sending all six of the occupants into the water. Two of the passengers fell into the path of the boat propeller and were killed. Another two people sustained minor injuries. All of the passengers were wearing life jackets, and their boat complied with legal water safety requirements.
Eye witnesses described the scene as harrowing. According to witnesses, the boat was heading towards the dam wall when the driver seemed to suddenly lose control. The boat swerved sharply before capsizing with the engine still running. The passengers in the boat were thrown into the water, with two of the occupants landing near the engine. They subsequently got tangled in the boat propellers.
Rescue services were quick to respond to the accident but they were unable to resuscitate the two seriously injured passengers who died on scene. The deceased were cousins, aged 23 and 27. The remaining passengers who were related to the deceased were removed from the water by rescue boats before their capsized vessel was retrieved. All of the surviving passengers were taken to Grey’s Hospital in the nearby town of Pietermaritzburg where they were treated for minor injuries and shock.
Midmar Dam is a popular recreational destination for water sports in KwaZulu Natal. The dam is used for swimming, boating and water sports such as water skiing, and is the site of the popular Midmar Mile swimming event. This is the first fatal accident to occur at the dam in the last 3 years.
Investigators are currently looking in to the cause of the accident and are planning to interview the boat driver as soon as he has been discharged from hospital to determine the incidents immediately preceding the boat capsize. It is unclear whether it was human error or a problem with the vessel itself that was the cause of the accident, however the sudden nature of the capsize points towards an unexpected problem with the boat, possibly the steering mechanism. If the vessel is found to be at fault, the family may have grounds to file a lawsuit against the boat manufacturers. Such a lawsuit could help the family to recover compensation for the emotional distress caused by the incident.
