Tragedy in Akatsi South: Two Brothers Drown While Rescuing Younger Sibling from Abandoned Quarry Pit

Tragedy in Akatsi South: Two Brothers Drown While Rescuing Younger Sibling from Abandoned Quarry Pit

A tragic incident has claimed the lives of two brothers, aged 18 and 25, who drowned in an abandoned quarry lake located between Live Donorkope and the Catholic Secretariat in the Akatsi South Municipality.

The victims have been identified as 18-year-old Felix Dogbey, a recent Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduate, and 25-year-old Christian Dogbey, an employee of a food processing firm in Asikuma.

The Incident

According to Daniel Gidi, the Akatsi South Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the tragedy occurred on Friday, May 15. The brothers, along with nine other relatives, had traveled to Live Donorkope to attend a funeral where their mother lives. Following the event, the group visited the deep quarry pit for recreation, unaware of the hazards and without local supervision.

The situation turned critical when their nine-year-old brother, Eric Dogbey, began struggling in the water.

Felix immediately jumped in and successfully saved his younger brother, but was pulled under shortly after. Seeing his brother in danger, Christian dived in to rescue Felix, but both ultimately succumbed to the deep waters. Officials estimate the depth of the water-filled quarry pit to be between 18 and 24 meters.

Search and Recovery Efforts

Initial recovery operations by local divers on Friday and Saturday proved unsuccessful. Due to the difficulty of the terrain, NADMO requested assistance from the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) based at Sogakope Nutekpor. Navy divers joined the operation on Saturday but had to halt their search by evening due to zero underwater visibility.

The Akatsi South Municipal Chief Executive, Daniel Dagba, along with NADMO officials, visited the site on Saturday to assess the situation and support the family.

Local Assembly Member Moses Gadri noted that while the family originally hails from Akatsi Alagbokope, the deceased brothers resided in Asikuma.

The bodies of Felix and Christian eventually surfaced on Sunday morning, May 17, just before the Navy team could resume their search. Personnel from the Ghana Police Service have since retrieved the bodies and deposited them at the St. Paul’s Hospital morgue for an autopsy.

The tragic loss has left the entire community in deep mourning.

Source: Channel One