A prison officer identified as Constable Clement Tei Gyabah, been found dead in River Pompo at Pomposo, a suburb in the Obuasi East District in the Ashanti Region.

Although the circumstances surrounding his death is yet to be confirmed, however, the deceased together with his motorbike, were retrieved from the river on Wednesday, July 30.

Some eyewitnesses allege that, the victim hit a motorcycle on a barricade that protects pedestrians by separating them from vehicles that are driving across or along the River Pompo.

Additionally, some suggest that the deceased was struck by a speeding vehicle, as he sustained visible injuries on his body.

Meanwhile, the body of his remains has been deposited it at the morgue pending investigations.

Also this year, a police officer, Constable John Kwabena Dogbe, lost his life in the River Offin at Assin Asaman in the Central Region while pursuing illegal miners attempting to flee.

Constable Dogbe lost his footing on the slippery riverside terrain and fell into the fast-moving water in the course of the pursuit.

Constable Dogbe was part of a special task force from the Central North Regional Police Command conducting a swoop against illegal mining activities.

Some of the miners tried to escape by wading across the river, prompting the officers to give chase.

The operation, aimed at dismantling mining setups along the river, was disrupted when suspected miners scattered upon spotting law enforcement officers.

His body was recovered by local police and emergency response teams four hours after the incident.According to a Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) study about 1,360 people drown annually in Ghana between 2019 and 2021.

Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ghana Navy suggest that Ghana recorded 52 drowning fatalities in 2022, with males making up 63% of these deaths.

Females accounted for 37% of drowning incidents, depicting a clear gender disparity.

The higher male fatalities have been attributed to increased involvement in water-related activities, such as fishing, boating, and swimming, by experts.

They argue that these activities are usually undertaken without adequate safety measures, like lifeguards or life jackets.

Young adults between 15 and 29 years recorded the highest proportion at 33% as per the WHO's report.

Individuals aged 30 to 49 years accounted for 25%, while children aged 5 to 14 years made up 17%. Notably, 12% of drowning victims were children under 4 years, reflecting their heightened vulnerability.Recently, the Black Volta Basin claimed the lives of seven students of Lawra Senior High School (SHS) on June 14.

All members of the school’s cadet group, had decided to jog along the riverside at Dikpe on Saturday morning, June 14.

There were a total of 16 of them, 11 girls and 5 boys. Ten of the 16 students, including 8 girls and 2 boys, chose to board a canoe managed by a young boy in an attempt to cross the Black Volta River at Dikpe.

Their commander jumped into the river to save the lives of his comrades and was able to rescue three students.

Tragically, seven of them perished in the water. The seven deceased students came from various parts of the Upper West Region: two from Lawra Constituency, two from Daffiama/Bussie/Issah, one from Nandom, one from Wa, and one from Nadowli/Kaleo.

The bodies of the deceased have been released to their respective families for burial.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Lawra, Hon. Bide A. Ziedieng, has called for public education on security measures that must be ensured during transportation by water bodies.

This is not the first time lives, especially those of students, have been lost to drowning on the Black Volta.

In 2023, some eight students drowned in the Volta Lake in the Sene East District on their way to school.

This prompted calls on the government to provide life jackets to pupils and staff in island communities who commute by water.

Eduwatch Africa called on the Ghana Education Service and other relevant stakeholders to roll out measures to avert such disasters in the future.

"In the immediate term, we urge the Ghana Education Service (GES) to facilitate the availability of life jackets to all school children and staff who sail to and from school, not only in the Sene East district, but all other 'island and settler communities' where children and staff commute by water transport to school.

"The GES should, in collaboration with the relevant state agencies, facilitate health and safety orientation sessions for all its pupils and staff in island communities", portions of the group's statement read.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) donated 100 life jackets and learning materials to the Atigagorme and Wayokope communities in the Sene East District.

Then Director-General of GES, Dr Eric Nkansah, said the donation was an interim safety and security measure for school children.

Meanwhile, the Minister responsible for Interior, Honourable Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has revealed several measures the government and its agencies will put in place to check the rate of drowning incidents involving students and others in rural areas.

Appearing before Parliament on Wednesday, July 2, the sector minister noted that there will be regular sensitisation of canoe owners or operators and residents along the Black Volta Basin, and sensitization of students and identifiable bodies on maritime safety.

Also, the Ghana Maritime Authority will provide life jackets to canoe operators along the river, conduct regular monitoring of canoe operators to ensure safety on the river, and ensure all canoes are regularly maintained.