On Saturday, March 9, 2024, a 15-year-old Junior High School (JHS) three pupil from Blessing Academy in Afasebong, Atwima Kwanwoma district, tragically drowned in the Dwahyen River at Takyiman New Site.
The Head Teacher of Blessing Academy, Emmanuel Amankwah, withheld the pupil’s name for unspecified reasons.
According to Amankwah, the pupil sought permission from school authorities to purchase food outside the premises on that Saturday afternoon.
However, upon reaching the bridge spanning the Dwahyen River, the pupil encountered friends engaged in swimming.
Enticed to join them, tragedy unfolded as the pupil drowned, and attempts by his friends to rescue him proved futile, as they also faced difficulties in the water.
Despite their distress, the friends raised an alarm. Masons working nearby rushed to the scene but found the boy had already been swept away by the river.
Efforts by good Samaritans in the evening to retrieve the body proved unsuccessful.
Nana Afriyie Takyi, Nifahene of Atwima, performed a libation ceremony at the river to facilitate the retrieval of the body to the riverbank, a sentiment also confirmed by the Denkyemuoso Police Command during their early Sunday visit.
The lifeless body was later discovered on the riverbank and subsequently transported to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for a post-mortem examination.
In response to the tragedy, Atwimahene, Nana Antwi Agyei Brempong II, urged parents to ensure their children avoid aimless loitering. He also called on private schools with boarding facilities to prioritize the well-being and safety of the children under their care.