The body of the 43-year-old man who drowned in front of his family in the Hartbeespoort Dam on Thursday night was recovered by police divers and the NRSI on Monday around 12:00.
Michael Pohl drowned at the Eagles Waters resort in Broederstroom around 08:00 when he apparently took his canoe onto the dam to release fishing lines that were stuck.
Pohl, his life partner, mother, and their three children from Pretoria were camping at the resort to celebrate his 43th birthday on Friday.
According to a family friend, Natasha van der Linde, Pohl’s family was watching him from the shore. “A distance into the dam he called to them that the canoe was stuck in fishing nets and is taking in water. He told them to get help,” she said. “The family could not immediately find anyone at the resort to assist, and his daughter swam in but could not see him.”
According to Arthur Crewe of the Hartbeespoort NSRI, NSRI boats were on the scene minutes after they were alerted of the incident. “We began the search immediately until the early hours the next morning. The search continued on Friday and over the weekend until his body was finally found on Monday,” Crewe said..
The family has been at the dam every day since the incident. They were informed soon after police divers found the body.
Van der Linde said Pohl was an avid fisherman who spent a lot of time fishing. “We always joked he was more at the fishing waters than home. Hartbeespoort was his favourite place to fish.”
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