News / Regional
Flooded Limpopo river traps Zimbabwean soldier for 10 hours
19 Jan 2016 at 05:28hrs | Views
A MEMBER of the Zimbabwe National Army on border patrol was marooned in the Limpopo River for about 10 hours due to floods and had to be airlifted to a South African military base.
The soldier, Sergeant Oscar Takaendesa, was rescued on Sunday by a search team comprising South African soldiers and police officers who airlifted him from an island on the river, some 5 kilometres east of the border post.
The rescue team also helped a fisherman, Rangarirai Mbwindi, who had been marooned some 15 kilometres west of the border town along the same river.
It is understood that Sgt Takaendesa was part of security personnel who were patrolling the border line on Saturday afternoon when he was marooned from 5PM on that day until he got help at around 3AM on the following day.
The soldier was part of a team that was on the lookout for smugglers and illegal immigrants who frequent the area. There are over 200 illegal crossing points along the two countries' boundary line.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Ronel Otto said the soldier and the fisherman were airlifted to Musina Military base where they were interviewed and released to Zimbabwean security authorities.
"We got a call from our counterparts in Zimbabwe at around 10PM on Saturday night and then summoned a team of rescuers from Polokwane (police) and army air force from Hoedspruit in Makhado," she said.
"The team searched and managed to locate the defence forces member at around 0345 hours and airlifted him to the military base in Musina where he was interviewed and later handed over to the Zimbabwean military police." Col Otto said Mbwindi, who was also rescued during the search for Sgt Takaendesa, was released together with the soldier.
A source said: "The river flooded while the soldier was on an island on the river which is used by many illegal immigrants and smugglers to skip the border to either country. His workmates managed to get out of the river and alerted their superiors."
Incidents of people being marooned in the Limpopo River are common during the rainy season. In January 2014, two people were left stranded near Dulibadzimu gorge when they were marooned on an island for two days while attempting to illegally cross the border.
They were later rescued by the Civil Protection Unit with the assistance of their South African counterparts. Last month three people including a nine-year-old boy were killed by a hippopotamus near the New Limpopo Bridge while attempting to illegally cross into the neighbouring country.
On Friday security personnel intercepted 13 Malawians and 15 Zimbabweans and one South African man who wanted to skip the border through the same area.
The soldier, Sergeant Oscar Takaendesa, was rescued on Sunday by a search team comprising South African soldiers and police officers who airlifted him from an island on the river, some 5 kilometres east of the border post.
The rescue team also helped a fisherman, Rangarirai Mbwindi, who had been marooned some 15 kilometres west of the border town along the same river.
It is understood that Sgt Takaendesa was part of security personnel who were patrolling the border line on Saturday afternoon when he was marooned from 5PM on that day until he got help at around 3AM on the following day.
The soldier was part of a team that was on the lookout for smugglers and illegal immigrants who frequent the area. There are over 200 illegal crossing points along the two countries' boundary line.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Ronel Otto said the soldier and the fisherman were airlifted to Musina Military base where they were interviewed and released to Zimbabwean security authorities.
"We got a call from our counterparts in Zimbabwe at around 10PM on Saturday night and then summoned a team of rescuers from Polokwane (police) and army air force from Hoedspruit in Makhado," she said.
"The team searched and managed to locate the defence forces member at around 0345 hours and airlifted him to the military base in Musina where he was interviewed and later handed over to the Zimbabwean military police." Col Otto said Mbwindi, who was also rescued during the search for Sgt Takaendesa, was released together with the soldier.
A source said: "The river flooded while the soldier was on an island on the river which is used by many illegal immigrants and smugglers to skip the border to either country. His workmates managed to get out of the river and alerted their superiors."
Incidents of people being marooned in the Limpopo River are common during the rainy season. In January 2014, two people were left stranded near Dulibadzimu gorge when they were marooned on an island for two days while attempting to illegally cross the border.
They were later rescued by the Civil Protection Unit with the assistance of their South African counterparts. Last month three people including a nine-year-old boy were killed by a hippopotamus near the New Limpopo Bridge while attempting to illegally cross into the neighbouring country.
On Friday security personnel intercepted 13 Malawians and 15 Zimbabweans and one South African man who wanted to skip the border through the same area.
Source - chronicle
