Vaal Marina police have opened an inquest case after the body of a teenager was found in the Vaal Dam.

The search for the Greenside High matric learner and head boy Reza Saloojee (18) was called off on Tuesday (13/8) when his body was found three days after he disappeared in the Vaal Dam. The teenager is set to be buried this afternoon at the Avalon Cemetery.

Saloojee was allegedly on a fishing trip with his family when a strong current in the dam reportedly swept him away. He went into the water to try and retrieve some of his belongings that had been blown by a gust of wind when he disappeared.

JUST IN: Police divers have found the body of 18-year-old Reza Saloojee in the Vaal Dam.

He went missing on Sunday afternoon during a fishing trip.

Reza was the headboy at Greenside High in JHB.

Our prayers and thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/GDLiooWuSf

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) August 13, 2024

“The three-day search for the boy who drowned on Sunday afternoon in the Vaal dam has ended tragically when the police divers found his body inside the dam,” said Gauteng police spokesperson Noxolo Kweza.

“His family was on the scene when the team of police divers found the body around 16:00. The search team comprised water police and diving services from Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Sedibeng.”

The divers started at 08:00 daily and finished at 18:00 to look for Saloojee, and more than 20 divers were deployed to the scene.

Reza Saloojee's body was found on Tuesday afternoon. Photo: Power FM/ X 

News24 reported his father, Bilal Saloojee, addressed the divers and those who have been searching since Sunday and paid tribute to the team of dedicated police divers who recovered his son’s body on Tuesday.

An officer mentioned that they took 30-minute turns searching underwater for Reza. “Under normal circumstances, we would be spending 70 minutes underwater. However, we couldn’t … due to cold conditions and poor visibility, so we decided to spend 30 minutes fearing hypothermia. On Monday, we spent six to seven hours in the water.”

Earlier on Tuesday (13/8) Bilal said he was still hopeful that his son was alive although he acknowledged that chances of survival were minimal.

A helicopter, a large team of divers, police water wing divers, and search and rescue dogs were deployed to assist in the search for Saloojee.

Gauteng Deputy Commissioner Fred Kekana said this shows the commitment to their divers as they spent long hours looking for the boy. “The members did not hesitate to jump in and help when assistance was needed, this is commendable and we are appealing to communities to work closely with them.”

OFM News/Zenande Mpame dg