Dad recounts how Greenside High head boy disappeared while swimming in Vaal Dam as family watched

The 18-year-old Greenside High School head boy who disappeared at the Vaal Dam on Sunday tried to swim out to retrieve a tackle box, but the current was very strong and he was swept away by the waters.

On Tuesday, the search for Reza Saloojee entered its third day. 

He disappeared at about 2.30pm on Sunday afternoon when a strong wind swept a tackle box into the water and Reza went in after it. The situation occurred while he was on an outing with his family.

His father, Bilal Saloojee, recounted the events to TimesLIVE Premium. 

“When the incident happened, they were fishing. He came with his cousins. My nephew, who is older, came through with him as well. As they were busy packing up, it became windy and one of the boxes that they had with them, a floating tackle box, flew into the water. He ran in to get it, tried to rescue it and went in a bit. And the water took him. The current was quite strong, and he went out quite far,” said Bilal. 

Bilal, who was not at the scene, reflected on the moment he received the distressing call informing him that his son was taken by the current.

Though he was not there, he made every effort to ensure his son got help. 

“I got the call. They contacted me. I told two of the boys to get help and told him [nephew] to instruct others to continuously keep an eye on him. The two went to the entrance of the resort to get hold of the owner and see if they could get assistance,” he said. 

The father said he left home immediately and rushed to the scene. When he arrived, the nephew told him they could see Reja swimming for a short period, then they lost sight of him.

Bilal's words reveal a heart-wrenching blend of hope and despair.

“From my personal feeling perspective, I am anxious. I want my son to be found. It’s a tough time. He was the world to us. He accomplished so much in this short period of time. He was excelling at school. He was loving. He was caring. He always cared for those in need and those who needed help,” he said. 

He said the incident happened so quickly, and it has been extremely tough, but family, friends and work colleagues have been very supportive. 

“We just hope that he is found soon,” Bilal said, his voice laden with emotion. 

“He is a head boy at Greenside High. He’s done exceptionally well at school, academically and socially, being part of their leadership team and involved with their activities. He was quiet but really thrived in everything he did,” he said.

The divers said they could not see more than two centimetres in front of them

—  Bilal Saloojee

“He loves sport as well. He was active in his sport. He was religious as well. He was just a loving child. He was the joy of the world,” said Bilal. 

Bilal spoke of the efforts being made to find his son and the deep emotional toll the ordeal has taken on his family.

“The search team have been good. There are lots of people on board. They've kept us updated. They work very systematically in searching for him, going through the water. They asked us to respect their space, which we do,” Bilal said. 

He expressed gratitude for the consistent updates from local authorities.

“What I do appreciate with the police captain in the area as well as the head of the search group is they keep us briefed on a regular basis, so the family knows what's happening. They have got additional divers to assist them. They are trying their best,” Bilal noted. 

The search efforts have been extensive, including using canine units. However, Bilal explained the challenges.

The divers have reported limited visibility underwater, which complicates their search. 

“The divers said they could not see more than two centimetres in front of them. So a lot of the dive is a field dive where they cover an area, and they work through it systematically. They've been working extremely hard through the hours, working the maximum one is allowed to dive for during the day,” Bilal said.

As the search continues, the Saloojee family remains hopeful and resilient.