The Free State police in Heidedal have confirmed the recovery of a body from the Heidedal quarry following a seven-day search for a 20-year-old man who drowned last week Thursday (16/10).
According to Free State police spokesperson, Mahlomola Kareli, the incident occurred when the victim and his friends went swimming at the quarry.
“The incident, initially reported as a possible drowning, occurred on Thursday, 16 October 2025, at about 15:00, when a 20-year-old male reportedly drowned while swimming with friends in the quarry. On the same day, an initial inspection dive was conducted in the area indicated by witnesses but with no success,” Kareli explained.
The search for the victim’s body was prolonged as the police diving unit was deployed to other drowning incidents across the Free State.
“The dive teams had to attend to other critical drowning scenes in Bothaville, where a victim was retrieved successfully, and in Ficksburg, where another male was also found. In Virginia, the team could not find the body and will be returning to the scene,” Kareli said.
In Heidedal, police continued searching the quarry with assistance from private security companies, drones, and the Heidedal Neighbourhood Watch.
Their efforts finally paid off this week when the dive team returned to the site.
“On 23 October 2025, one of the dedicated dive operations resulted in the successful recovery of the body, approximately 60 to 70 metres away from the initial search area,” Kareli concluded.
Police have opened an inquest docket into the incident.
Compiled by Clement Matroos
