Lawra SHS Drowning: Final two bodies recovered

The search for the missing Lawra Senior High School students has officially come to an end after the final two bodies were found early Sunday morning, raising the total number of lives lost to seven.

Local authorities confirmed that the two remaining bodies were discovered in the Dewo River, about two kilometres from where the tragic accident occurred on the Dikpe section of the Black Volta River. This marks the end of an intense rescue and recovery operation that lasted nearly 24 hours.

The students, who were members of the school’s cadet corps, were taking part in a regular jogging session on Saturday morning. During their route, they tried to cross the Black Volta River at Dikpe using a canoe. Unfortunately, the canoe capsized midstream, throwing all ten students into the water.

While three students managed to swim to safety, seven were swept away by the strong current. A combined search team made up of community members, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) officials, and volunteers quickly launched a rescue operation. By Saturday evening, five of the bodies had been retrieved. The final two were recovered at dawn on Sunday.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), along with local education authorities and security personnel, has announced plans to meet with the grieving families. The meeting will focus on offering counselling and coordinating funeral arrangements for the deceased students. Psychosocial support is also being prepared for classmates and staff affected by the tragedy.

This heartbreaking incident has thrown the Lawra Municipality and the entire Upper West Region into mourning, as students, teachers, and residents struggle to come to terms with the loss.