Maria David
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD O’Linn Nauyoma, a learner at Etosha Secondary School, reportedly drowned while on a school tour at Lake Guinas, making him the third person to drown in the lake.
This was revealed by Oshana Police Commander, Commissioner Naftal Lungameni Sakaria, on Thursday. He said that the police were conducting their annual diving exercise at Otjikoto Lake when they received information about Nauyoma’s drowning at Lake Guinas and were called to assist with the diving in the hope of retrieving the body.
Lake Guinas is a permanent natural lake located on the D3031 gravel road between Otavi and Tsumeb. The lake was formed many years ago after a karst field-dome cave cave collapsed and filled with water.
The lake reportedly has a width of 59 metres and a length of 120 metres, making it the largest permanent lake in Namibia. The centre of the lake has a depth of more than 130 metres, depending on the water level.
Sakaria said that Lake Guinas is a mysterious lake with many tales, including beliefs that it has a bottomless pit and links up with other water sources.
“As of now, our records show about three people who have drowned in the lake and were never recovered,” he said.
He added that they conducted several dives in an attempt to retrieve any bodies, but the underwater terrain is complicated, with the cave system caving in from different angles, making it difficult for bodies to surface.
“Our hope is for the body to be found. We did all the diving we could, but we were unable to retrieve the body,” he added.
NamPol Head of Media, Chief Inspector Elifas Kuwinga, confirmed that Nauyoma drowned at Lake Guinas on 8 September.
According to Kuwinga, the deceased was on an LRC training tour at the time of the incident.
“After conducting a bungee jump exercise, the deceased and his friend decided to swim in the lake, resulting in the deceased drowning,” he said.
Kuwinga indicated that the body of the deceased has not yet been retrieved from the lake.
The deceased’s aunt, Hilia Mboshono Thomas, recently told Informanté that they are deeply saddened by the situation and are hoping for assistance. “We just want to know if our loved one’s body is still in the lake or not,” she said.
