A yet-to-be-identified young woman is feared dead after floodwaters swept her away in Nima in Accra following Saturday morning’s heavy rains.
It remains unclear how she ended up in the drain.
Reports say several young men rushed to help, but the force of the water proved too strong to overcome.
Among those attempting the rescue was Gerhard Kwamina Asomontsi, a student at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), formerly the Ghana Institute of Journalism, who was on his way to write an exam.
Describing the ordeal to Myjoyonline, Gerhard said: “Today, I was on my way to write my exam, and I got to Tesano when the rain started. So, I decided to go through Kokomlemle and then head through Nima. As we were descending, there’s a road that leads to the Nima Goil fuel station. In the valley there, I saw this lady in the gutter, and I was even telling my colleague that the lady was swimming. Within a twinkle of a second, I heard people shouting. I parked my car, rushed in, held her hand, trying to pull her out, and then other people joined me.
“But unfortunately, we couldn’t pull her out. About four, five, six guys came to help, but the flood took her away.”
Gerhard explained that the rescue attempt failed despite multiple helpers because the water’s force was too strong:
“Apparently, I saw her from her shoulder upward, so I couldn’t see what was actually holding her down. If we had held two hands, we might have saved her. But it looks like she collapsed in the process and was no longer fighting. The currents and the pressure of the water just pulled her away.”
He added that at one point, rescuers had to prioritise their own safety to avoid being dragged into the flood.
“And if we had forced, one of us might have also been taken by the water. That is why eventually I noticed she slipped off, and then she was gone,” he said.
