Tsumeb—A tragic incident occurred at Lake Guinas near Tsumeb over the weekend, resulting in the alleged drowning of 16-year-old O’linn Nauyoma, a student from Etosha Secondary School.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture’s Executive Director, Sanet Steenkamp, expressed profound shock over the incident, which took place around 15h00 on Sunday. “We are shocked by the loss of our learner. Our condolences go out to the family and Etosha Secondary School,” Steenkamp remarked in a statement on Tuesday. The ministry has announced collaboration with local police and divers in the search efforts for Nauyoma’s body and is arranging for social workers to support the bereaved family and the school community.

Deputy Commissioner Titus Ekandjo, the crime investigations coordinator for the Oshikoto Region, detailed that the drowning happened during an outing organized by the school’s Learner Representative Council. Nauyoma and a friend were swimming in the lake when he drowned. Despite ongoing efforts, his body had not been retrieved from the lake as of Tuesday. The police have notified Nauyoma’s next of kin about the tragic event.