Mpumalanga Baptism Goes Wrong After Church Members Drown
EMBALENHLE, MPUMALANGA– What was supposed to be a joyous celebration for a church's new members turned into horror as 3 women drowned in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, on 26 April 2026, on the day of their baptism.
Source: Twitter
Justice, Crime Prevention and Security posted a statement on its @CrimeWatch_RSA X account from the South African Police Service (SAPS) about the incident, which took place in the morning at Wells River. According to the police, the church member and two other members, a 17-year-old woman and a 19-year-old woman, entered the river to be baptised when everything went wrong.
Church members drown during baptism
While the baptism was taking place, the group realized that the water levels of the river were rising. The 59-year-old woman allegedly lost her footing. She tried to regain her balance by holding onto the two teenagers. However, the trio lost stability and drowned. The church leader tried unsuccessfully to rescue the victims.
The police's Search and Rescue Team arrived at the scene and recovered the bodies of the three victims. The police also called on members of the public to exercise extreme caution when conducting religious or recreational activities around open water.
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Read the statement on X here:
The Wellas River drowning took place three months after another drowning in the province. A two-year-old was swept away in the Msholozi C stream of the White River in January. The child's mother left the house briefly, and when her son woke up, he followed her and tried to cross the stream alone. The strong current swept him away.
Source: Briefly News
