An eight year old boy from Othandweni was found dead on Friday morning after drowning in a water canal, following a search operation led by the Royal Eswatini Police Service with the assistance of police scuba divers and officers from Siphofaneni.

Police reports state that the boy, a resident of Othandweni, was sent by his family to a nearby shop on Thursday, March 12, 2026 at about 1700 hours to buy bread. He did not return home as expected, prompting relatives to begin searching for him in the surrounding area.

During their search, family members discovered the bread and some money near a water canal in Othandweni. The discovery raised concern that the child may have fallen into the canal, leading the family to contact police.

Officers responded and joined the search along the canal during the evening. Despite efforts by both police and community members, the search was called off at midnight because of darkness and safety concerns, with no sign of the missing boy at the time.

The operation resumed on Friday morning. At about 1100 hours, police scuba divers located and retrieved the child’s body from the water canal.

The Royal Eswatini Police Service has since urged members of the public to remain cautious around water bodies and to closely monitor children in such areas in order to prevent similar incidents.