Man, 20, drowns while helping travellers cross Ghana-Togo border river

A 20-year-old man named Kombat Yaw Yiremiah tragically drowned in a river that separates Ghana and Togo on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at Tambalug in the Tempane District of the Upper East Region. The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. when Yiremiah was reportedly assisting travelers in crossing the river into Togo. As of Monday, August 17, 2026, his body had not been found.

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and community members are now engaged in a search operation to recover the young man's body. His colleagues and community members had frequently assisted travelers, including Togolese nationals and people coming from Kumasi, Accra, Bolgatanga, and Tamale, to cross the river. Yiremiah, however, had gone about his usual activity on Sunday when the tragedy struck.

The Tempane District Director of NADMO, George Alale Akuka, confirmed that his team was actively involved in the search and had covered a considerable distance along the river but had not yet located the body. Traditional practices were also part of the search efforts, as the community consulted a diviner who had faith that the body would be found soon.

The family and residents of Tambalug are devastated by the incident and have appealed to the Ghana Police Service and NADMO for professional rescue personnel and equipment to conduct the search safely and effectively. The community is anxiously awaiting the recovery of their son's body.