Search for Missing Infant Continues After Jukskei River Incident in Johannesburg
Rescue workers search the waters of the Jukskei river in Johannesburg, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. 
On 3 December, a group of congregants which had gathered for a baptism ceremony along the Jukskei River in Johannesburg, South Africa, was swept away by a flash flood. Rescue teams have been searching around the clock for bodies and survivors since the incident.Search operations for a missing three-month-old baby are ongoing more than a week after the Jukskei River tragedy, according to rescue officials, cited by local media.The infant was a part of a congregation that had gathered in Bramley Park along the river to conduct a baptism ceremony and was swept away by flood water.The three-month-old reportedly was with two family members at the time of the flood. They are among the 15 bodies that have been recovered so far. Search groups are continuing their efforts to locate the missing. The operation involves the police, fire service, and specialist aquatic rescue teams. According to local media, there is no exact information on how many individuals attended the ceremony. Officials say they have constantly warned residents that conducting such ceremonies is fraught with danger. According to Jill Fortuin, executive director of Drowning Prevention at the National Sea Rescue Institute, the organization is frequently called out after a baptism has gone awry.
“It is not safe to conduct baptisms in rivers, dams and the sea. There are so many reasons why it’s not safe – because the river sometimes has rocks, and the congregants do not know the depth of that river," she said.
AfricaAt Least Nine Dead After Flood Hits Baptism Ceremony in Johannesburg – Reports4 December, 16:38 GMTThe Jukskei River is located along numerous townships in the eastern part of Johannesburg. Religious congregations tend to gather along the river to perform church rituals such as baptisms and cleansings.
