Tears of disbelief flowed in Knole Park over the weekend when the body of a brave teenager was removed from a dam after he drowned saving a little boy on Thursday.
The heartbroken family of 14-year-old Alrich Montsinger say they are still in shock after learning that his heroic act led to his death.
Mom Juanita, 35, says the aspiring soccer player came to spend a few days with her and spoke about how excited he was to start Grade 9 at Zeekoevlei High School.
“He came to me on Wednesday because he lives by his ouma in New Horizons so he is close to school. He came to me on Wednesday and spent some time with me,” she says.
“He never really goes out, but it was hot inside and he told me he was going out for a while.”
The hartseer mother says hours later, shortly after 4pm, she was sitting on her bed when she heard the frantic screams of a relative telling her she must come to the dam on a nearby farm.
“When I got there they told me Alrich drowned,” says Juanita.
“There were other children swimming in the dam and the witnesses told us that a smaller boy was sukkeling in the water and Alrich jumped in to help him.”
Witnesses told the family that the teen grabbed a broken canoe and put the little boy on top of it, but when he climbed on the canoe, it started to sink.
“They told us he got off and let the boy float, but then his legs must have gotten stuck on something because they saw him struggling then he went down.
“They saw his arm sticking up and then he went down again and they just saw bubbles.”
Juanita ran to the dam and jumped in to help search for her son.
“The dam is so deep and grass is everywhere. When the divers came they found him in the same spot I was looking and I cannot get over that,” the crying mom says.
Ouma Theresa Petersen rushed to Knole Park after being told what had happened.
“He was very happy the schools were opening and I had his whole uniform ready for the new year. He was a kind child. I am going to miss him,” she says.
On Sunday, residents held a memorial at the dam and erected a cross in Alrich’s memory.
Juanita says she is holding onto the good memories of her only child.
“He was forever with a soccer ball and he joined the Stars Soccer team here in Knole Park where he played striker.
“I really don’t know what I feel, but someone in the community told me yesterday that Alrich is not a normal angel, he is wearing a crown.
“He gave his life for someone else and that made me feel a little better. I always told him to think of other people first,” Juanita says.