A 39-year-old woman from Gauteng died on Saturday when her car plunged into the Hartbeespoort Dam.

The woman seemingly lost control of the vehicle near the dam wall shortly after 15:00 and plunged down the bank into the water. Members of the Hartbeespoort National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), police divers and SRU Rescue were on the scene soon after and started searching for victims. The woman’s body was found in the vehicle and brought to shore. She was declared dead on the scene by paramedics of the Hartbeespoort Emergency Medical Service (HEMS).

“We were alerted about the vehicle in the dam between the dam wall and Hartbeespoort Snake and Animal Park around 15:20. We did not know how many people were in the car and divers searched for victims. A woman’s body was found in the vehicle and was brought to shore. We continued the search until around 20:00 when we were informed that she had been alone,” said Arthur Crewe of the NSRI.

According to information from the scene, children’s toys were found in the vehicle and there was a concern that there might have been children with her.

According to police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh, the woman was alone when her car plunged into the dam and she was last seen by her husband on Friday morning.”

The NSRI and police were on the scene until late Saturday night to retrieve the vehicle. The police are investigating the circumstances of her death. Her identity has not been released yet.