Hartbeespoort Dam – Female deceased in a car accident:

At 20h59, Monday, 27 September, NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from the SA Police Services responding to reports of a vehicle gone over the edge of the Hartbeespoort Dam wall with persons reportedly trapped in the vehicle.

Arthur Crewe, NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam station commander, said:

The NSRI rescue craft Sea Legs was launched and on arrival we joined Police on the scene of a small passenger vehicle found in the dam and submerging under water.

Our NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed and an adult female was recovered from the wreck and CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) efforts were commenced.

NSRI rescue swimmers continued to search for what we believed at that stage to be a baby that was missing, while the adult female was brought to our NSRI rescue base where CPR continued and HEMS (Hartbeespoort Emergency Medical Services) responded.

After all efforts to resuscitate the female were exhausted sadly the female, believed to be aged 29, from Centurion, was declared deceased.

No sign of a missing baby was found in or around the vehicle when it was then confirmed by Police that a baby had not been in the vehicle and the baby was safe with the deceased ladies partners parents at home.

The vehicle was secured in the dam and vehicle recovery services were deployed under the authority of the Police and the vehicle was recovered from the water.

The body of the deceased female was taken into the care of Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.

Police have opened an inquest docket.

Condolences are conveyed to the family of the deceased female.