Normally the Baakens River is a placid stream but is extremely deadly when provoked by flood waters abusing its avuncular nature. It might be endearing when untroubled by raging water but caution always needs to be taken.

On the last Tuesday of January 1834, the Baakens River showed that even a seemingly placid stream can be deadly.

Main picture: Bridge over untroubed waters

At 4 pm on January 28th 1834, the wife of Mr JP Armstrong was crossing a temporary wooden bridge across the Baakens River to visit Mrs. Evatt, the wife of Captain Evatt, the Commander of Fort Frederick. As she reached the bridge, Mrs Armstong bent down to pick up her four year old daughter, Thomasine Mary Armstrong in case she fell in. When only two metres onto the bridge, Mrs Armstrong felt dizzy due to the moving water and oscilating bridge. Losing her balance, she tumbled into the cool rapidly flowing water which was three metres deep. While holding her child, and attempting to rescue herself, she screamed for help. In spite of a prolonged bout of screaming, no assistance arrived. Utimately totally exhausted by attempting to resist the force of the rapidly flowing current, she was compelled to let her daughter go.

Attempted resuscitation
The daughter of Mrs Evatt, heard screams from the direction of the river and promptly raised the alarm. Mrs Evatt responded and found Mrs Armstrong’s almost lifeless body on the bank of the river. The child, 3 years and eight months old, had by then sunk beneath the surface but when she was retrieved from the water she was non-comitose. In an effort to resucitate her, the child was carried to Captain Evatt’s house on Military Road where the Staff Assistant Surgeon attempted to revive her. His exertions over a period of two hours were futile. It had been in vain. She was dead.

That night when the Armstrong family sat down for a belated supper. Young Thomasine would not be there to share the family meal.

District Surgeon
The town witnessed another tragic death when the Uitenhage District Surgeon, Wentworth, committed suicide by shooting himself on the 3rd February 1834. Wentworth applied a pistol in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The violent force of the shot completely separated the skull from the lower part of the head. He was survived by a widow and five children.

Source
Graham’s Town Journal 13th February 1834