Frank Maponya

Frank Maponya

A three-year-old Limpopo boy died minutes after being rescued from a borehole in which he was trapped for hours yesterday afternoon.

The incident happened at a plot in Dalmada, outside Polokwane.

The boy, who has been identified as Duncan Sebone, was allegedly walking with his mother to her place of work when he fell into the hole.

It is said that the boy decided to use a different route from the one his mother was using and to meet up with her again a few metres further on.

But that was the last time the mother saw her son.

She became suspicious when he did not meet her as he had promised.

The mother allegedly heard him screaming. When she went to investigate she found him trapped in a borehole.

The woman then alerted local people.

Members of the police, a disaster management team, emergency medical services and people in the area tried to extricate the boy from the borehole.

During the process the boy's mother, Elizabeth Sebone, spoke to him all the time.

It was only at about 4pm that the boy was freed from the hole.

Unfortunately the boy died a few minutes after being rescued. The exact cause of death is still unknown , though lack of oxygen is suspected.

Polokwane police spokesman Inspector Lesiba Ramoshaba said the boy was allegedly trapped nearly six metres down a very deep borehole.

"It was difficult to remove the boy from the hole as no one there had the means or training to help him," Ramoshaba said.

He said the boy was still breathing, but with difficulty, a few minutes before he was rescued.

"Paramedics on the scene tried to resuscitate him but their efforts were to no avail and he died," he said.

He said counselling had been arranged for the boy's family, who originally hail from Matseke village in Botlokwa.

"We have opened an inquest docket for further investigation," Ramoshaba said.

"We also hope to find out why such a deep hole was left unattended."