Rescue efforts are underway for two adult males who went missing after a canoe carrying six passengers capsized on the Offin River near Achiase in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region on Thursday morning, September 25, 2025.
The accident occurred around 8:30 a.m. when an inexperienced paddler reportedly lost control of the canoe. Four passengers were rescued, while two remain unaccounted for.
Speaking on Ghanakoma morning show on Akoma 87.9 FM in Kumasi, former Achiase unit committee chairman, Daniel Adu, confirmed the development. “All six fell into the river. We managed to rescue four, but we are still searching for the other two,” he said, noting that both missing persons are adult males.
Personnel from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) joined the rescue mission but suspended operations on Thursday evening, resuming the search the following day. Traditional leaders also performed rituals at the riverbank in line with local customs.
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This is not the first tragedy at this section of the Offin River. In 2021, four people died and another went missing in a similar canoe disaster at the same crossing. NADMO investigations at the time cited overloading and lack of safety equipment as contributing factors.
Residents have long raised concerns over inadequate safety measures. Life jackets were only introduced to the area after the 2021 accident, though many communities along the river still rely on small canoes as their main means of crossing, with no bridges to provide safer alternatives.
The Offin River has also been affected by illegal mining activities, with water pollution often hampering visibility during rescue operations. Despite recent infrastructure projects, such as a newly commissioned bridge in the district, access to safer crossings remains limited in several rural communities.
Local authorities caution that the likelihood of finding missing persons decreases significantly after the first 48 hours of such incidents, though search efforts remain ongoing.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem