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The eight-year-old Rehanul Haque - the boy with the big heart. Photo supplied.

Weekend tragedy

Date: 11 April 2016 By: Isabel Venter

No words can describe the sorrow in parents’ hearts after witnessing the death of one of their children.

The Haque family of Louis Trichardt has been beyond all consolation since an outing to the Kruger National Park (KNP) this past Saturday turned into tragedy and their youngest child drowned.

The utter heartbreak and sorrow are tangible in the house of the eight-year-old Rehanul Haque, or Rehan as he was affectionately known. “Come and see my baba … my beautiful boy … he was my angel child,” weeps Rehan’s mother, Shahida. 

The Zoutpansberger visited the grieving family on Monday, during which time Shahida tenderly shared memories and photos of her darling child. Every nook and cranny of the family house display a photo or achievement, not only of Rehan, but also of his older sister, Norin. “He had such a big heart, you know … always smiling and playing,” says Norin, while she consoles her grieving mother.

How Rehan had ended up in the deep end of the pool at the Shingwedzi rest camp of the KNP remains a mystery to both his parents.

Shortly before tragedy struck, the Haque family had spent time watching animals together with other family members in the KNP. They were three families, says Rehan’s father, Razaul. “We saw many animals – elephants, antelope, and buffaloes – Rehan was so excited to come home and show all his school friends the photos we had taken,” interjects his mother.

The family decided to stay the night, as it was getting dark and they were informed that they would not make it in time before the park’s gate closed for the night. After paying for their accommodation at Shingwedzi, said Razaul, the whole family decided to escape the scorching sun by going for a swim before dinner.

Rehan was playing in the shallow end of the pool, while his sister, mother and other family members were either swimming or relaxing at the opposite, much deeper, side of the pool. Rehan, however, wanted to go swimming with his daddy.

Razaul was hesitant, because Rehan could not swim yet, so he decided to come closer to the shallow side. He held on to Rehan’s arms, so he could “swim” in the deep side. They did not go far beyond the shallow end of the pool, and they planned together to ask mom Shahida to arrange for Rehan to go for swimming lessons.

When it was time to prepare dinner, the family started to gather their things and set out for their chalets. Razaul took Rehan back to the shallow end, to were the steps were, so he could climb out and gather his clothes. Razaul turned back and got out at the deep end, so he could get his own clothes. He then started off after the other family members who were already some distance from the pool, on their way to the chalets.

Razaul was only a few short paces from the pool when he enquired whether Rehan was with his mother. The nearest family members said that he must be either with his mother, or perhaps in the bathroom; they were not completely sure.

“Then a shock went through me; only a few minutes had passed … something was wrong … I turned back and ran towards the pool … I saw Rehan’s shoes next to the pool … and then I saw something blue under the water … the navy blue swimming costume of Rehan … and I just jumped in without thinking,” says Razaul.

Rehan was unconscious when his dad brought him to the surface.

Razaul immediately tried to resuscitate Rehan. Other guests at the camp rushed over to assist him and started to do CPR on Rehan. “He coughed up water, and I put my mouth on his mouth to get him breathing … other people tried … they tried over and over again … but nothing,” says Razaul before his emotions overcome him.

Sadly, Rehan never regained consciousness.

For the next three hours, guests took turns to try and get a pulse. When an ambulance from Malamulele arrived on the scene, Rehan was declared dead. “They put a defibrillator on his chest, but his chest only went up and then back down again,” says Razaul.

“…the people … all the people who came to help … they all cried with us,” adds Shahida. “My baba looked like he was sleeping … his face was so peaceful.”

Afterwards, park employees assisted the family to bring Rehan’s body back home to Louis Trichardt, and he was buried on Sunday.

Friends and family of Rehan's were devastated by the news of the little boy who was always smiling and friendly with his fellowman. According to his parents, Rehan had a playful spirit and was never sad for too long. “He used to play with me when I returned home late from work, well past his bedtime,” says Razaul.

Rehan also loved to play with his two cats, who now also mourn his death and refuse to eat. He also had many playmates and was a promising student of the Eltivillas Primary School, where he was a Grade 2 pupil. “He was a very obedient, well-educated child and academically a strong student. He maintained an average of 85% in all of his subjects,” said the school’s principal, Mr Johan Fick.

In the meantime, the spokesperson for the KNP, Mr William Mabasa, expressed the heartfelt condolences of the park’s management to the Haque family. He further added that the swimming pool at the Shingwedzi camp was for the use of visitors, but at their own risk.

 

 
 
 

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Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

 
 

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