An inquest docket has been opened after a Grahamstown schoolboy drowned in Grey Dam. Devandre Heathcote (13) drowned on the afternoon of Sunday 15 March during an outing with his family, police said.
An inquest docket has been opened after a Grahamstown schoolboy drowned in Grey Dam. Devandre Heathcote (13) drowned on the afternoon of Sunday 15 March during an outing with his family, police said.
"He swam for the first and last time. He dived into the water and never came back," said a devastated Miriam Swarts.
Swarts is Devandre's legal guardian.
She said the family, which lives in Extension 10, visited the dam after church.
Devandre insisted on having lunch at the dam, she said. "We tried to talk him out of going to the dam, but he insisted. So we went there with him – my husband, Devandre's father and our two dogs."
The temperature on Sunday was in the mid- to high-30s in some parts of the city.
Swarts said Denvandre, his brother and the dogs went over to the far side of the dam, where they played on the bank.
Swarts grew suspicious after seeing one of Devandre's dogs swimming across the dam.
"His brother came running to us and told us that Devandre plunged into the water. We didn't believe him because Devandre never swam in his life."
Swarts said Devandre's dog hasn't stopped waiting on Devandre's bed every afternoon in the hope he will walk in from school.
"Devandre was very close to his dog and always took him for a walk after school," Swarts said.
Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said, "The victim was with his brother when it happened. He got into difficulty and went under the water."
Govender said Devandre's brother alerted the adults.
Govender said the boy's body was recovered by police divers from Port Alfred.
Devandre was the son of Howard Swarts and Brendelene Heathcote.
The couple were too traumatised to speak to Grocott's Mail.
The Mary Waters High School Grade 8 pupil of was bid farewell by his school mates at a memorial at St Mary's Catholic church in Albany Road yesterday (Thursday).
The funeral service will take place today (Friday) at 11am at the same venue.
