Toddler siblings drown in abandoned pit

A heart-wrenching tragedy struck the community of Assin Yaw Boamah near Assin Homaho in the Assin South District of the Central Region on Tuesday afternoon, when two toddlers who are siblings, drowned in an abandoned water-filled pit.

Four-year-old Kwame Cobbinah and two-year-old Kwame Essiam lost their lives after falling into the pit originally dug by a resident, Nana Yaw to win clay to build a mud house.

It was later converted into a toilet after construction was completed.

However, with the onset of the rainy season, the pit had been filled with stagnant water and was left without any safety barricades to protect the residents, particularly children.

The Chief of the village, Nana Yaw Boamah, shared the tragic details with the Ghana News Agency.

He said the grieving parents, identified as Mr Kobby and Madam Maabena, both in their thirties, now had only their youngest daughter, under one year, left.

Narrating the ordeal, he said, on Tuesday afternoon, while the children’s mother was inside plaiting her hair, the two toddlers, accompanied by a five-year-old playmate, wandered near the water-filled pit about 300 meters from their home.

The tragedy began when the younger child’s sandal slipped into the water but trying to retrieve it, the two-year-old accidentally fell into the deep water.

 Seeing his brother in danger, the courageous four-year-old Cobbinah jumped in to save him but also got drowned.

Their five-year-old companion tried to help but failed and quickly ran home to alert the parents, amidst shouting their names.

Reality soon hit the victims’ mother who rushed to the pit, only to find out that her worst nightmare had come true.

She desperately, raised the alarm and the community scrambled to find a ladder to rescue the children after several minutes.

With no vehicles available in the community, they quickly arranged two motorbikes to transport the near lifeless children over nine kilometres to Assin Fosu St Francis Xavier Hospital at Assin Fosu, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

The parents and the man who dug the pit are cooperating fully with the police in their investigations to understand the circumstances of the tragedy.

The Chief described the incident as a stark reminder of life’s fragility and the urgent need for better safety measures by parents and the community.

He expressed deep sorrow and extended condolences to the family, calling for strict safety protocols to prevent such heart-breaking accidents in the future.

“This tragic event highlights the hidden dangers posed by abandoned construction sites,” he said and underscored the urgent need also for local government reps and stakeholders to prioritise safety, enforce regulations and educate residents to protect their younger ones.”

Source: GNA

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