Live donorkope: Two brothers have drowned in an abandoned quarry lake located between Live Donorkope and the Catholic Secretariat in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region after attempting to rescue their younger brother.
According to Ghana News Agency, the deceased have been identified as Felix Dogbey, 18, a Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduate, and Christian Dogbey, 25, a worker at a food processing company at Asikuma. Mr. Daniel Gidi, the Akatsi South Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), reported that the incident occurred on May 15 at about 1600 hours.
He stated that the deceased, along with about nine relatives, had traveled to Live Donorkope for a funeral, where their mother resided, and later decided to visit the abandoned quarry lake for recreation without the supervision of local residents. The tragic event unfolded when their nine-year-old sibling, Eric Dogbey, started drowning in the water-filled quarry pit.
Mr. Gidi explained that Felix attempted to rescue Eric after hearing his cries for help but ended up drowning after successfully saving his younger brother. In a desperate bid to save Felix, Christian entered the water but both brothers ultimately drowned. The quarry pit was estimated to be between 18 and 24 meters deep.
Initial rescue attempts by local divers on Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16, were unsuccessful. Officers from the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) at Sogakope Nutekpor were later contacted to assist with the rescue operations but had to suspend efforts on Saturday evening due to poor visibility in the water.
Mr. Gidi noted that Navy officers planned to resume rescue operations on Sunday morning. Mr. Daniel Dagba, the Akatsi South Municipal Chief Executive, along with officials from NADMO and other stakeholders, visited the scene on Saturday to assess the situation.
Mr. Moses Gadri, the Assembly Member of the area, informed the GNA that the deceased hailed from Akatsi Alagbokope but resided at Asikuma. The bodies of the deceased were discovered floating on Sunday morning before the arrival of the Navy officers. Personnel from the Akatsi Police Command, who maintained order at the scene, have since deposited the bodies at the St. Paul's Hospital morgue pending autopsy.
The tragic incident has left the community in a state of shock and mourning.