KEETMANSHOOP: The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) in the Karas Region on Thursday retrieved the body of a 31-year-old man who drowned in the Orange River in the Aussenkehr area last Sunday.

The body of Lemi Kayuba Sitali, a Namibian citizen, was retrieved at 09h00.

The drowning happened on the Namibian side of the river as he tried to cross the river with an inflated car tube to collect wood on the South African side of the river.

NamPol’s Crime Investigations’ Coordinator in Karas, Deputy Commissioner Rudolf Isaak told Nampa on Friday that the tube then capsized, causing the drowning.

“His brother who was close by heard the deceased screaming for help and notified the police, but when police arrived on the scene, he had already drowned and his body was submerged by water,” explained Isaak.

The Deputy Commissioner said such crossings are illegal, and should be avoided as it is dangerous.

The next of kin of the deceased have already been informed.