Apam: Survivor Recounts Incident That Led To Drowning Of Many Youths

One of the youths who escaped death on the Sunday evening when at least over 10 teens drowned at Apam in the Central Region has narrated how he survived the tragedy. He also said he only survived the ordeal after he was hit by a strong tidal wave bringing him ashore and according to 15 year old Kwaku Abbrew, the spot

where they went swimming was familiar to them and a strong tidal wave caused the tragedy. When we were all being carried away by the sea, we managed to swim back but realised that some of our friends had been carried away by the tidal wave. We were over 25. The second tidal wave was more dangerous as most of our

friends were carried away. We normally go to the area to swim, but I was a bit surprised by what happened. We normally go to the very spot to swim often on Sundays, Kwaku Abbrew said. Victims in the drowning incident were also aged between 13 and 18 years. Some reports indicated that about 20 teens may have drowned in the

incident. Preliminary report by the police also indicated that while the teens were swimming, a heavy tidal wave blew which led to them drowning on Sunday evening. A search party tried unsuccessfully to recover the bodies that evening then the next morning, four of the lifeless bodies of the teenagers were then recovered and more bodies were found during the day by fishermen helping

with recovery efforts. In total, 12 bodies were retrieved; 10 males and two females and according to the District Chief Executive for the area, Mr Bismark Baisie Nkum. Three of the victims who were recovered were receiving treatment at the St Luke Catholic Hospital in Apam and assisting the police in their investigations. The bodies of all the deceased are yet to be handed over to all their families.