The 25-year-old was swept away by floodwater at City Chemist Roundabout last Monday evening, leading to a search operation that ended on Tuesday, according to reports.
A 25-year-old man has been slept to his death by a flood in Bamenda in the North West Region. According to reports, the body of the man who has been identified as Agyingi Hamlet was found yesterday morning by the Army Rescue Unit in Bamenda.
Elements of the unit found the body after they launched a formal operation with the support of local volunteers, according to Senior Warrant Officer Taku Paul, Chief of Center of the Army Rescue Unit in Bamenda. “This morning at seven o’clock, we went to City Chemist where the young man fell into the water,” Senior Warrant Officer Taku Paul stated about the search which came after a video was shared on social media platforms on Monday showing a man being washed away by flood after unsuccessfully trying to escape from the waterflood around the City Chemist neighborhood in Bamenda. “We created two search teams, one to comb from City Chemist to Presbyterian Church Bridge, and another from the bridge down to the Army Rescue Bridge” the Army Rescue Unit official added.
He said the rescue teams and volunteers scoured the drainage canals, bushes, and waterways. After about 35 minutes of searching, the teams received a call. The body of Agyingi Hamlet had been spotted in a swamp at Mulang Street IV, more than 15 kilometers from where he had fallen. With the help of the local population, the rescue unit recovered the body. Officer Taku Paul further stated that “the population did a great job.
They were not just watching, they searched alongside us and alerted us when the body was found.” He confirmed that the body was then cleaned and transported. The Army Rescue Unit confirmed that this was the third drowning in Bamenda in just two weeks.
Officer Taku Paul issued a warning to residents, saying, “We are calling on everyone, children and adults to stay indoors when it rains and stay away from waterways. That is the only way to avoid future tragedies.”
