20-year-old drowns in river on Ghana-Togo border

A 20-year-old man, identified as Kombat Yaw Yiremiah, has drowned in a river separating Ghana and Togo at Tambalug in the Tempane District of the Upper East Region.

Yiremiah reportedly drowned on Sunday, August 16, 2026, while assisting travellers to cross the river into Togo.

According to a report by graphic.com.gh on August 18, 2026, his body has not been found as of the close of day on Monday, August 17, 2026.

Community members, relatives and personnel of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) have since been searching the river and surrounding areas for the missing body.

His family said Yiremiah and some of his colleagues regularly help travellers, including Togolese nationals and people arriving from Kumasi, Accra, Bolgatanga and Tamale, to cross the river.

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The Tempane District Director of NADMO, George Alale Akuka, who confirmed that his team was participating in the search, indicated that the team had covered a considerable distance along the river but had not been able to locate Yiremiah's body.

“So, myself and my team, we are still on the ground searching for him,” he said.

Akuka described the situation as serious and assured that the search would continue until the body was found.

He also disclosed that the community had consulted traditional authorities as part of efforts to determine the possible location of the corpse.

“They consulted the one who used to consult the gods before they see the victim, so they get the direction, and we are confident that in about a few hours from now, we will get him,” he said.

The family and residents of Tambalug have appealed to the Ghana Police Service and NADMO for additional support, including professional rescue personnel and appropriate equipment, to facilitate the recovery.

The incident has left the family and the community devastated.

Residents are therefore urging the authorities to intensify the search and help recover the young man's body to bring closure to his family.

MRA/VPO

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