The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has revealed sad facts on the accident that caused the drowning of seven students of Lawra Senior High School in a cadet training exercise that was held on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
West Regional Coordinator of NADMO, Abdul Latif Osman, said the accident occurred during a regular morning pre-dawn jogging exercise, an activity that is a tradition of the cadet corps of the school.
It is common to find that the students cross the River Dikpe on foot at a shallow point which is also known to them as a part of their normal route.
That morning, however, took a twist of surprise. Mr. Osman said that the students took a different path and bumped into a man of presumably Burkina Faso origin plying a canoe along the bank of the river.
The students, instead of walking through the shallow part, preferred to cross the river by canoe – a move that proved fatal.
Of the 15 students who were there, 10 got in to the canoe, and five stayed behind. Halfway across, the canoe tipped. Three of the students, including two girls and a boy, were able to swim to safety, but the other seven were carried away by the strong current of the river.
The Burkinabé man who was paddling the canoe escaped and is now on the run, Mr. Osman told the Daily Graphic.
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He further added that the accident occurred at around 8:00 a.m.; however, he could not be rescued since according to the local customs, traditional rites had to be conducted.
The search was formally initiated at 10:00 a.m., and five bodies were recovered in an hour. The two latter were discovered early on the following morning.
The community has been shaken by this tragic incident, and parents, students, and school authorities are trying to cope with the loss.
People are crying out that there should be a greater safety precaution and closer monitoring in school outings as investigations are underway.
In the same breath, NADMO and local leaders are calling on people to shun unauthorised river crossings more so during this rainy season where levels are unpredictable.
