One person has already died and a few in Bloemfontein were in trouble for crossing dangerous bodies of water after the recent showers.
The Free State police’s diving unit is ready for rescue and retrieval procedures throughout the province as heavy rains were experienced since Saturday, 6 April.
With the heavy rains experienced, drownings are a possibility. Members of the diving unit and the K9 search and rescue unit are on 24/7 standby duty for calls to save a life.
According to Sgt Mahlomola Kareli, the team was called upon to help after a drowning incident was reported in Kroonstad.
The team had to search for a man who drowned after he tried to drive through a body of water. The team retrieved the body of the 50-year-old man from the water.
Another call was from Bloemfontein, where four motorists were left stranded under a bridge in Fort Street after their vehicles were fully submerged under water, but with no injuries.
“As the police in the Free State, we are pleading with motorists, and community members in general, to avoid using flooded bridges and dangerous subways when it rains. Be careful when you walk or drive over lower-lying bridges as well as places known to have large bodies of water, as water can rise without warning. Fast-moving water may result in an injury or drowning.”
The police warned parents to talk to their children to prevent them from playing in pools of water, as accidents can happen that may lead to drowning.
“If you are in a flash flood-prone area, move to higher ground. Do not travel when there is a warning of flooding or severe weather. Let us be responsible citizens and adhere to the warnings.”
Although there is some rain predicted for this weekend, the weather will clear again from Tuesday.
