Wassa dunkwa: A mother and her two sons, along with another child from her family, tragically drowned in an abandoned galamsey (illegal mining) pit in Wassa Dunkwa, located in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region. The victims of this unfortunate incident have been identified as Mary Arthur, a 43-year-old farmer, and her sons Hayford Arthur, 11, and Richard Asabre, 14, as well as Eric Mensah, 11.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Paul Kattah, the Assembly Member for the Wassa Dunkwa Electoral Area, reported that the incident happened on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The family had gone to collect firewood near the illegal mining site. After gathering the firewood, the three boys proceeded to leave it by the roadside and decided to swim in the flooded pit.
Mr. Kattah explained that a witness, another child, observed the boys in distress and informed their mother. Mary Arthur rushed to the scene and, upon witnessing her children in peril, she entered the water in an attempt to rescue them but sadly drowned as well.
The Assembly Member further stated that the Asankragwa Divisional Police Command was notified and subsequently retrieved the four bodies. They were taken to the Father Thomas Alan Rooney Memorial Hospital in Asankragwa for preservation and autopsy.
Mr. Kattah added, "I have visited Mr. Kofi Nipa, a mason and husband of the late Madam Mary Arthur. It's a very difficult moment for him." He noted that Mr. Nipa is receiving support from family and the community to help him cope with the tragedy.