A father from Kraaifontein was left crying over a bodybag with his seven-year-old son inside after the child drowned in a dam.
Little Keano van Rooyen and two older friends went for a swim yesterday morning in a dam off Old Paarl Road in Kraaifontein.
Police divers removed his lifeless body from the dam.
Kraaifontein police officers couldn’t keep the shattered dad, Reano Kamfer, 31, away from the tragic scene.
“I just want to see my child. Move out of my way so I can see,” cried Reano.
The father sat crying over the open bodybag, holding his son.
Residents in the area claim the boy was often seen roaming around.The child had two siblings.
Mom Shanell van Rooyen, 22, said Keano went to sleep at his father’s house on Sunday night.
“He would have returned to school next year after his papers went missing,” she said.
A witness who lives right next to the dam, Michael Abrahamse from Scottsdene, said he noticed the boy drowning but was too late to rescue him.
“I saw one of the boys was in trouble and headed over. The one boy shouted at him, ‘Your mommy is coming,’ and the drowned boy went under from what looked like panic. We rushed to the dirty dam, jumping over the fence,” said Mr Abrahamse.
“He came up twice more as I kept my eye on him, and then he disappeared. His friends ran off. I immediately called the cops, and they arrived within five minutes.”
Keano’s clothes were found at the scene.
The boy’s aunt, Marta du Plessis, 50, said: “He was the apple of his father’s eye, and the two were very close.”
Community member Glynis Hendricks said they want the dam fenced off: “Two adults and two children have already drowned there.”
Police spokesman FC van Wyk confirmed the incident. – Daily Voice
