Apam drowning: Teenagers were only playing football, ‘sex claims’ all lies – Eye witness

A resident in Apam who helped save some of the victims of the unfortunate drowning incident which happened on Sunday, March 7, 2021, has refuted suggestions that the affected teenagers were having sex at a prohibited area at the beach.

Reports were rife, following the incident, that some of the children who drowned at the beach were having sex along the river where the gods reside.

Speaking to GhanaWeb’s Laud Harris Adu-Asare who visited the area Monday to ascertain the situation, Kobby, one of the residents explained that they were only there to play football as is the tradition for the youth of the area on Sundays.

According to him, it is a usual routine for some youth from the area and adjoining communities to meet and play football on Sundays, what they call “Sunday Special”. After playing, they usually swim before leaving to their various homes.

Kobby whose nephew was a victim explained however that this was like nothing they had ever seen in the many years they have been swimming in the area.

“We only swim on Sundays after playing football because it’s a weekend. We’ve been swimming here for a very long time. I had never seen anything like this, this has never happened.

“The elders who were suggesting the teenagers were here having sex, it’s all a lie, they were only playing football,” he said.

Background

The township of Apam and neighbouring areas have been thrown into a state of mourning after some of their children numbering over 13, reportedly went missing after they had gone swimming on Sunday, March 7, many of them drowning.

Confirming the incident and detailing the numbers as far as deceased persons and survivors are concerned, the spokesperson of the Apam Fishermen Association, Kow Panyin, told GhanaWeb that 11 of the teenagers who drowned have been identified.

Of the deceased persons, 2 were females and 10 of them males.

Gilbert Assandoh, Isaac Affisah, Adwoa Vi, Joshua Hammond, Prince Peprah, John Arthur, Christopher Ewusi, Ebenezer Forson, Benjamin Narh, Kweku Atta, King Beri Addison, and one other girl (unidentified), who had come to visit her friend were named as the deceased persons.

9 of these teenagers between the ages of 13 and 16 are from the Apam Community, 2 are from Ankamu (Apam Junction) and 1 girl from Cape Coast.

Investigations are still ongoing, but the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, meanwhile has extended financial support to the families of these victims, following the incident.