A young Retreat dad, who died tragically after drowning in the Keyser River, will finally be laid to rest this week after DNA tests confirmed his identity.
More than two weeks after the tragedy, during which police divers failed to recover his body and his friends salvaged his remains, the friends and family of Reagan Fredericks gathered over the weekend to celebrate his 31st birthday.
Reagan was last seen by his friend Michael van Wyk, 40, on June 14 after they were allegedly thrown into the river by security guards.
Tempers flared at the river along Military Road as mense accused police divers of failing Reagan’s family.
At the time, Saps divers claimed it was too dangerous to search the murky waters but this did not stop his hartseer friends.
After five days battling strong currents and rain, the group of untrained residents recovered his body.
Mom Natalie, 47, said the DNA test results came back and they have commenced with preparations for his funeral.
“The tests came back to say it is 99.999% Reagan’s body and it was released to the undertakers,” she said.
“On Friday his friends gathered as they made 200 hotdogs in Albertus Court which they handed out to children in the community and hosted a braai to celebrate his 31st birthday.
“We are relieved that we now have his body and can lay him to rest. He was lying so long in the water and then in a mortuary.
“The funeral will be held at the Dutch Reformed Church on the corner of Boundary and 6th Avenue at 9am and the community is welcomed to attend.”
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