The management of the Sports Directorate of the University of Ghana (UG) has announced the closure of the school’s swimming to the general public “until further notice” following the untimely demise of a first year student who drowned in the pool last month.

In a press statement that announced the decision, the University management has yet again expressed its deepest condolences to the bereaved family as well as friends and sympathizers.

“Following the press statement by University Management on the death of a Level 100 male student at the University of Ghana Sports Directorate Swimming Pool on Saturday, 29th January, 2022, Management of the Sports Directorate wishes to inform the University Community and the public that the swimming pool is closed until further notice. We wish to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased”.
UG Sports Directorate

On January 30, 2022, the management of the university confirmed the death of the student after earlier reports the previous day that made the waves suggesting that the university has once again lost a student at the school’s pool side this year.

In a five-paragraph statement that confirmed the sad incident which the family would have wished was a mere dream, Management of the University of Ghana said it “regrets to announce that a Level 100 male student of the University died around 4:40 p.m. on Saturday, January 29, 2022, while using the swimming pool at the University’s Sports Directorate, in spite of attempts by pool guards to ensure his safety”.

“The family of the student has been notified and the body has since been deposited at the University Hospital, while further investigations take place. Management mourns his tragic loss and sends deepest condolences to his family and friends, on behalf of the entire University community”.
UG

Police investigating the incident

Management of Ghana’s premier University then seized the opportunity to assure members of the University community and the bereaved family that it was working together with the Police and the University Health Services to investigate the unfortunate incident.

Eyewitnesses that spoke to reporters after the sad incident, stated that the diseased was cautioned by the instructors against going to swim at the deep end of the pool but he ignored the instructions.

“Usually, the swim instructors, if they don’t see you swimming there always, they know that you are not really good at swimming per how you kick and all and they ask you to go back”, an eyewitness said.

The eyewitness added that “so, the guy went to the 21ft and was asked to go back the first time…. not knowing he went there again and the next thing they heard was that he had drowned”.

In a viral video making rounds, some persons were seen trying to retrieve the body of the supposed drowned student from the pool. This is however, just one of several instances in which students of the university ended up losing their lives in an attempt to swim in the pool.

It can be recalled that in 2017, a Level 400 student of the University of Ghana was reported dead after he drowned in the school’s swimming pool on a Saturday. The 22-year-old final year student, who was identified as Dennis Akoto, was said to have gone to the poolside for a Saturday afternoon relaxation when the incident happened.