The bodies of three men aged between 24 and 30 were retrieved after they drowned in a stream in Snake Park, Soweto, during a baptism ceremony on Saturday.

Johannesburg emergency management services (EMS) spokesperson Nana Radebe said they received a call informing them of the incident at about 11.15am.

When they got to the scene, family members of the deceased were present.

“When we got there, there were people and they said there was a baptism ceremony. [They alleged] when the three guys went in, one slipped. The [two other men] tried to go in as well but it was too deep. They also slipped and drowned,” she said.

Radebe said the body of one of the victims was retrieved before midday, while the other two bodies were retrieved after 2pm.

It was not immediately clear what church the men belonged to.

The incident follows another that occurred at the Jukskei River last month when 14 church congregants died during a baptism ceremony. .

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