Police Divers Retrieve Two Bodies of Foreign Nationals from Dam
The Free State Police Search, Rescue and Diving Unit has retrieved the bodies of two Malawian nationals who are believed to have drowned at Aldenburg Farm Dam outside Ladybrand.
According to police reports on 6 September 2026, the two men, aged 23 and 26, were reportedly fishing from a canoe at the dam when the canoe capsized, resulting in both men drowning.
The two Malawian nationals were reportedly from Potchefstroom and had travelled to a farm in the Ladybrand area for fishing.
On 8 September 2026, the Free State Police Search, Rescue and Diving Unit conducted a search operation at the dam, but the bodies could not be located.
The search resumed on 9 September 2026 at approximately 09:30, when police divers entered the dam and successfully retrieved both bodies from a depth of approximately three metres.
An inquest docket has been opened and is under investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
