Superintendent Kabo Badirwang, commander of the Orapa station in Botswana, has encouraged fishermen in the Boteti area to adhere to safety standards whenever they are fishing.
He said since the region experienced a dry spell for close to three decades, most of the area inhabitants lack water skills, as opposed to those who dwell in areas like the Okavango.
Badirwang said this following the death of two fishermen in Lake Xau. The men, aged 40 and 46 are from Kedia village.
“People here are not that skilled in water issues because the river had dried up for about 25 years. The best thing is to put on life jackets all the time,” Badirwang said.
The two men went missing last week Thursday, after the canoe they were in capsized. The first body was found on Friday morning, while another was recovered on Saturday. The police have maintained that the bodies have no injuries.
Moreover, no crocodiles and hippopotamus were found in the lake, despite speculation that these animals have been spotted on numerous occasions. Badirwang said there were three fishermen in total but the other, aged 57 did not go into the lake.
The deceased were casting their fishing net when tragedy struck. The lake is a kilometre from Kedia village in the Boteti area. It is about 8 kilometres wide, but the police could not confirm its depth, nor the area where the deceased perished.
He added that the man who was accompanying the duo reported the matter on Thursday afternoon. The cause of the incident is unknown, as investigations are still ongoing. However, it is suspected that a heavy wind led to the mishap.
Moreover, the men started fishery on a commercial scale recently, and it is speculated that they were not familiar with the art of paddling the boat.
“These men got their license beginning of September, we therefore suspect they were not quite knowledgeable on using the boat,” Badirwang said, adding that they did not find logs or trees that might have trapped the boat in the water.
The search continued on Saturday afternoon, with the search-party comprising of police and Botswana Defence Force members. The deceased are in Orapa Hospital mortuary for post mortem examinations. This is the first reported incident since the lake started filling up, with the flowing of Boteti River, which feeds it, police have said.
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