Police rescue two women after they were stranded for four days on river island

 

 

 

 

Police on Christmas Day rescued two women who had spent four days marooned on a remote island at the confluence of the Shashe and Simukwe rivers in the Sun-Yat-Sen area.

In a statement, the Zimbabwe Republic Police said officers from the Fairbridge Sub-Aqua Unit carried out the operation on December 25, 2025, saving the women aged 48 and 23.

The pair had been trapped on the island since December 21 after rising water levels cut off their route back to the mainland.

The Sun-Yat-Sen area is in Beitbridge District, near the Shashe River, close to the Zimbabwe–Botswana border. The confluence with the Simukwe River lies within this southern border zone, which is prone to flooding during the rainy season and is known for strong currents and sudden changes in river flow.

The ZRP has urged members of the public to exercise caution around rivers and low-lying areas during the rainy season, warning that rapidly rising waters can easily leave people stranded or swept away.

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