Tragedy as 16-year-old drowns in Rivers stream

A tragic incident has occurred in the Ogoloma community, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, where a 16-year-old boy drowned in a river while swimming with friends. The deceased, identified as Miebaka Koko, was at Derock Waterside on Saturday when he was overcome by a strong current.

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Companies have dredged almost all the waterfront areas in the Okrika Local Government Area. The dredging has made the river much deeper. Just a step away from the riverbank can be dangerously deep.

Eyewitnesses reported that Koko was swimming with three friends when he began to struggle. His friends quickly exited the water to seek help. A woman also raised an alarm, prompting a rescue attempt by community members and security personnel, including a police officer and soldiers. However, the current was too strong, and attempts to reach the boy were unsuccessful.

Igwe Godswill, the Sector Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Okrika LGA, attributed the river's increased depth, and thus the danger, to extensive dredging activities in the area. He stated that dredging has made many waterfront areas significantly deeper, posing a risk even close to the riverbank.

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At about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, four boys left the community and went to Derock Waterside in Ogoloma to swim. They entered the water, and shortly afterwards, we saw the boys running out. A woman was also shouting for help. We rushed to the scene with another man and tried to rescue the boy. At one point, we could only see his hands above the water.

Godswill recounted the events, noting that the boys entered the water around 1:30 p.m. Shortly after, they were seen running out, and a woman was shouting for help. Despite rushing to the scene and attempting a rescue, the strong current prevented them from reaching Koko. The recovery of bodies from rivers in this region is often difficult and can take several days.

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However, the current was very strong, and the man who attempted to rescue him could not reach him. Unfortunately, the boy drowned. It is very painful.

Parents have been urged to caution their children against swimming in unsafe locations, especially in dredged rivers, and to monitor their movements closely. The state police command is aware of the incident and has commenced an investigation, encouraging the family to file a formal report to aid the process. As of Sunday, the boy's body had not been recovered.

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If you are from this part of Rivers State, you will know that when someone drowns in our rivers, it often takes two or three days before the body can be recovered.