Two Rhodes students drown in Settlers Dam

TWO students from Rhodes University have drowned after a boat in which they were canoeing capsized at Settlers Dam just outside Grahamstown, Eastern Cape police said.

Post-mortem results carried out on Sunday night confirmed that Rizwan Bhayat, 21, and Mohammed Amin Mussa, 23, suffered no physical injuries, Lieutenant Luvuyo Mjekula said.

The possibility of play was ruled out.

“The two and their fellow student, Mohammad Gaffour, 19, apparently hired a boat from the Thomas Baines nature reserve to fish on the Settlers Dam in the reserve at 8.10am on Saturday,” Mjekula said.

“A strong wind came up and caused the boat to capsize, according to Gaffour, who survived the accident.

He managed to swim to safety. However, his companions disappeared under water.

Gaffour ran to a nearby

foul farmhouse and was able to contact the police.

Search and rescue personnel and divers began looking for the pair on Saturday and the search was called off when it became dark. Their bodies were recovered on Sunday afternoon, Mjekula said.

The university sent its condolences to the pair’s family and friends.

Gaffour was taken to Settlers Hospital where he received medical attention and was later discharged.

In a separate incident, a 21-year-old student from Walter Sisulu University was killed when he allegedly jumped out of a fourth floor window on Saturday night.

Mthatha police were called to the scene at 6am on Sunday, Lieutenant-Colonel Mzuksi Fatyela said.

The student jumped out of a window at the Silimela residence.

He was in his second year of study in the education faculty. Fatyela said an inquest was opened. – Sapa