The day the Witriver claimed four lives
2008-05-29
LAST week was the hundred and thirteenth anniversary of the Bain’s Kloof tragedy, when four young lives were lost in a story of heroism and tragic loss. The Witrivier is one of the most alluring streams in the area, flowing gently through Bain’s Kloof and forming pools of happy memories for many. But don’t be fooled by this as in winter, after heavy rainfalls, this stream can become a raging torrent. And this was exactly the case on 23 May 1895. On this day, Piet van der Merwe and Carl Pauw set out to guide a party of students and teachers of the Huguenot Seminary to the lower Sneeukop region on a mountaineering experience. On reaching the Witrivier, it was found to be a few metres wide, and by stepping from rock to rock, it was easily assessable. The mist cleared and the climbing party reached the summit by 14:00. But on the descent, some of the students were battling with sore feet, and to make things worse, the weather started to turn. It was then decided to split the party into two. The first party under the leadership of Van der Merwe managed to reach the Witrivier. The river had risen during the course of the day and was running much faster than it had in the morning. But he and the girls crossed it safely and reached Wellington before nightfall. The weather had set in and the rain was now pouring down heavily. The towns-folk was becoming agitated, as there was still no sign of Pauw’s group. At midnight a search party of young men and local farmers went in search of Pauw and the girls. This rescuers set off armed with blankets, light snacks, lanterns, brandy and some rope. On arrival at the Witrivier at approximately 02:00, the search party found that the calmer stream of the previous day had been transformed into a raging torrent. They heard shouts from the other side of the river, and were relieved that Pauw’s group was safe. It was decided to wait until daylight before an attempt would be made to rescue the group. At first light a rope was thrown towards the stranded group. By now they were suffering from exposure and their hands were too cold to hold tight. Christiaan Krynauw then braved the icy water and swam across with the rope. A thicker rope was attached, pulled across the river and secured to a rock. More rescuers crossed with food and brandy to revive the stricken party. Once everybody’s spirits had lifted, it was decided to take one girl at a time across. Lettie de Jager (18) was the first volunteer to attempt the crossing. Christiaan Krynauw and Lourens van Dyk met her halfway through the icy water and assisted her along the rope through the raging rapids. Things then started going horribly wrong when the three lost their footing and were swept away, but landed on a rock. Seeing his brother and Lettie in danger, Francois van Dyk went to their rescue. He too was swept away by the waters and landed in a bush close to the other three. Due to shock and the freezing temperatures, Lettie eventually lost consciousness and was swept off the rock. As she disappeared downstream, Krynauw and Lourens tried to reach her, but this cost them their lives. A rope was thrown to Francois, but because of the cold, his hands had become numb, and he could not hold on. He eventually also lost consciousness and too was swept away by the raging river. The remaining rescuers then moved the rope further upstream, where they were able to rescue the rest of the party. Another search party was later organised and the bodies of the four young people who drowned, were recovered. Today a monument stands along the picturesque route which the youngsters took on that fateful day, bearing the words “In memory of the daring and heroism of L van Dyk, F van Dyk, C Krynauw and Lettie de Jager.
More
News
|
