Tree falls on 2 Forestry Commission officials after rescuing accident victims

A tree has fallen on two Range Managers of the Forestry Commission who were returning to their base after rescuing some colleagues involved in an accident at Begoro in the Eastern Region.

Saviour Attu and Prince Obeng Kwarteng who were riding on a motorbike sustained various degrees of injuries and are currently on admission at the Eastern Regional Hospital where one of them has undergone surgery.

A rainstorm reportedly caused a tree along the road they were travelling to fall on them on October 14, trapping them in the process.

Distress call

According to reports, a vehicle crossed some members of the ‘Youth in Afforestation’ programme who were on their way to a plantation site in the Begoro area.

The driver of the foresters swerved in a bid to avoid a collision but veered off the road into a ditch.

A distress call was placed to the two Range Managers who responded and managed to rescue the afforestation youth team.

It was on their way back that the rainstorm caused the tree to fall on them.

The two were initially rushed to a local hospital but were referred to the Eastern Regional Hospital where they are currently responding to treatment.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, on Friday sent a delegation to commiserate with the victims.

Six thousand cedis was given to the victims to cater for their medical bills.

Executive Director of the Forest Services Division of the Commission, Oppong Sasu, urged the public to appreciate the difficulties in their work and support them to deliver.

“This is what we want people to appreciate that our work is risky, a tree can fall on you, snake bites, and even animal attacks, chain saw operators, poachers, and other illegal operators do shoot at us in the forest, but when we speak to people they don’t understand how risky our work is. Anytime something happens they think that we connive with the wrongdoers,” he said.