Two brothers drown in attempt to rescue sibling in abandoned quarry pit in Akatsi
Two brothers have drowned in an abandoned quarry pit at Live Donorkope in the Akatsi South Municipality after attempting to rescue their younger brother.
The deceased have been identified as Felix Dogbey, 18, a Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduate, and Christian Dogbey, 25, an employee of a food processing company at Asikuma.
The Akatsi South Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Daniel Gidi, told the Ghana News Agency that the incident occurred on May 15 at about 1600 hours.
He said the family, together with about nine relatives, had travelled to Live Donorkope for a funeral where their mother resides, and later visited the abandoned quarry lake for recreation without supervision from residents in the area.
Mr. Gidi said the tragedy began when the brothers’ nine-year-old sibling, Eric Dogbey, started drowning in the water-filled quarry pit.
“Felix, after realising that their brother was calling for help, decided to rescue him but ended up drowning after rescuing his younger brother,” he said.
He added that Christian, sensing danger, also entered the water in an attempt to save Felix but also drowned in the process.
Mr. Gidi disclosed that the abandoned quarry pit is estimated to be between 18 and 24 metres deep.
He said initial rescue efforts by local divers on Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, proved unsuccessful.
According to him, officers from the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) at Sogakope–Nutekpor were later contacted to assist with rescue operations but had to suspend efforts on Saturday evening due to poor underwater visibility.
“We called for help from the Navy officers, who decided to continue with rescue operations on Sunday morning after experiencing poor visibility on Saturday evening inside the water,” he added.
The Akatsi South Municipal Chief Executive, Daniel Dagba, together with officials from NADMO and other stakeholders, visited the scene on Saturday to assess the situation.
The Assembly Member for the area, Moses Gadri, told the GNA that the deceased hailed from Akatsi Alagbokope but resided at Asikuma.
The bodies were later seen floating on Sunday morning before the arrival of the Navy officers.
Personnel from the Akatsi Police Command, who maintained order at the scene, conveyed the bodies to the St. Paul’s Hospital morgue pending autopsy.
The incident has thrown the community into shock and mourning.
GNA
Comments (0)