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Johannesburg - A Midmar mile seeding event in Gauteng has been cancelled because of water conditions, organiser Wayne Riddin said on Wednesday.
He said the 3km Safari swim, which was due to take place at the Heia Safari Ranch in Muldersdrift, west of Johannesburg, was cancelled due to safety concerns.
"Our safety issues were with the quality of the water.
"We would not have had enough time to clean up the water."
He said rainfall in the area had washed an abundance of water hyacinth from upstream rivers into the dam.
The two boats they had would not have cleared the hyacinth in time for the event.
"Not only is the swimming course clogged with the hyacinth, there is also an abundance of driftwood in the dam," he said.
"Furthermore, there are very strong currents due to the amount of rain that has fallen in the area during the past three weeks."
He said the event was called off on Saturday afternoon, a day before it was set to take place.
Riddin said he was upset because the owners of the ranch had failed to inform him of the conditions timeously.
He said after the drowning of a swimmer during the Midmar Mile swim in February, the safety of the swimmers was a top concern.
Herman van Straten, 43, went missing on February 8 after he did not finish the race. Police found his body five days later.
In 2011, Nick Mellet went missing during the 38th aQuelle Midmar Mile race. His body was found four days later.
He said the 3km Safari swim, which was due to take place at the Heia Safari Ranch in Muldersdrift, west of Johannesburg, was cancelled due to safety concerns.
"Our safety issues were with the quality of the water.
"We would not have had enough time to clean up the water."
He said rainfall in the area had washed an abundance of water hyacinth from upstream rivers into the dam.
The two boats they had would not have cleared the hyacinth in time for the event.
"Not only is the swimming course clogged with the hyacinth, there is also an abundance of driftwood in the dam," he said.
"Furthermore, there are very strong currents due to the amount of rain that has fallen in the area during the past three weeks."
He said the event was called off on Saturday afternoon, a day before it was set to take place.
Riddin said he was upset because the owners of the ranch had failed to inform him of the conditions timeously.
He said after the drowning of a swimmer during the Midmar Mile swim in February, the safety of the swimmers was a top concern.
Herman van Straten, 43, went missing on February 8 after he did not finish the race. Police found his body five days later.
In 2011, Nick Mellet went missing during the 38th aQuelle Midmar Mile race. His body was found four days later.
