Authorities have confirmed the tragic details behind the deaths of seven students from Lawra Senior High School, who drowned during a cadet training exercise last Saturday, June 14, 2025.
According to the Upper West Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Abdul Latif Osman, the incident occurred during the cadet corps’ routine early morning jogging session — a longstanding tradition that typically includes crossing the River Dikpe on foot at a known shallow point.
However, Mr. Osman told the Daily Graphic that the students deviated from their usual route that morning. Upon reaching the riverbank, they encountered a Burkinabè man with a canoe and chose to board it to cross instead.
Out of the 15 students, 10 boarded the canoe while five stayed behind. Sadly, during the crossing, the canoe capsized.
Only three students — two girls and one boy — managed to swim ashore. The other seven were swept away by the river’s strong current.
“The Burkinabè operating the canoe managed to escape and is currently missing,” Mr. Osman stated.
He added that the incident happened around 8 a.m., but cultural protocols required traditional rites to be performed before a rescue mission could be launched.
The search began at 10 a.m., and within an hour, five bodies were recovered.
The remaining two were found the following morning after the search resumed.
