Police investigate drowning of 15-year-old girl in Dada Stream at Wovenu
The Ghana Police Service has launched an investigation into the drowning of a 15-year-old girl in the Dada Stream near the Wovenu Senior High Technical School (WOSSET) at Tadzewu in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region.
The deceased, identified as Dadoe Dedzo, reportedly drowned on Sunday afternoon after returning to the stream shortly after she and two friends had finished swimming.
Mr Lawrence Teve, Unit Committee Secretary for the Tadzewu Electoral Area, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the three girls had gone to the stream to swim before moving to a nearby drinking spot to relax.
He said that while they were seated there, Dadoe unexpectedly returned to the stream and jumped into a section near the entrance of a culvert, where the water is believed to be about 12 feet deep.
According to Mr Teve, the victim’s friends initially believed she would swim back to safety but became alarmed when she failed to resurface.
They quickly attempted to rescue her by stretching a long stick into the water for her to hold onto, but all efforts proved unsuccessful.
He said experienced swimmers, together with police officers, responded to distress calls and immediately began a rescue operation.
After about a few minutes of searching, the girl’s lifeless body was retrieved from the stream.
Mr Teve said attempts were made to revive the victim before she was conveyed by the police to the St. Anthony Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
He explained that the exact circumstances leading to the incident remain unclear because there were no independent witnesses at the scene apart from the victim’s two friends.
“The police have begun investigations to establish what exactly happened. At this stage, it is not known whether she accidentally got into difficulty after jumping into the water or if there were any other circumstances surrounding the incident,” he said.
The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of children around rivers and streams in the Tadzewu area, coming barely a week after another drowning claimed the life of a 15-year-old boy in the nearby Agortor Stream.
Residents have appealed to parents and guardians to closely monitor children during the school vacation and urged local authorities to intensify public education on water safety to prevent further tragedies.
GNA