Hartbeespoort Dam Boat Accident Leaves Family Desperate as Skipper Remains Missing
- Jan Mokonyane, 39, disappeared after a boat carrying eight passengers capsized at Hartbeespoort Dam on 25 October 2026
- All eight passengers on board were rescued, but Mokonyane could not be found and his whereabouts remain unknown
- His family is appealing to anyone at the dam that day to come forward with information
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Source: Twitter
NORTH WEST - A North West family is desperate for answers more than a week after their loved one vanished following a boating accident at Hartbeespoort Dam.
Jan Mokonyane, 39, known to those close to him as Obakeng, was operating a vessel at the popular dam on Sunday, 25 October 2026, when it overturned with eight passengers on board. Emergency responders and bystanders managed to pull all eight passengers to safety, but Mokonyane himself could not be located.
His family shared details of his disappearance through Missing Person South Africa, saying they remain in the dark about what caused the boat to capsize in the first place.
Family pleads for witnesses to come forward
The family is calling on everyone who was at Hartbeespoort Dam that day, including boat operators, fishermen, holidaymakers and rescue personnel, to get in touch. They want to piece together exactly what happened and are hoping someone who witnessed the incident or assisted with the rescue effort may hold a vital clue.
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Mokonyane is described as having a light brown complexion. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a brown two-piece ESSENTIALS outfit, a matching shirt and shorts.
See Facebook post from Missing SA:
How to contact the family
Anyone who has information about Mokonyane's whereabouts is urged to reach out directly to his family:
- Lesego: 079 013 1872 - Desia: 078 588 8335 - Tiny: 078 430 4314 - Phina: 064 693 4768
Information can also be passed on confidentially to Missing Person South Africa on 068 176 9574.
The family is holding onto hope that someone in the public will come forward and help bring them closer to finding Obakeng.
Student goes missing after private boat ride
In similar news, Briefly News reported that Thomas Junior Sithole, a 17-year-old prefect at Hoërskool Driehoek, went missing on the evening of 9 January 2026. He was on a small private boat with a group of friends, all minors, and a licensed adult skipper who was the father of one of the boys. According to accounts from that night, Thomas made his way to the back of the vessel to retrieve a cool drink while the group was heading back from a resort. When the others looked around, he was gone.
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Source: Briefly News
