A 20-year-old man who made a living from assisting travellers across the Ghana-Togo border has drowned in the river at Tambalug, leaving his family and community in grief.
Kombat Yaw Yiremiah went missing around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 16, 2026, while guiding passengers across the waterway, a task he and his colleagues performed regularly for Togolese and Ghanaian travellers from as far as Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale.
As of the close of Monday, August 17, his body had not been found despite an intensive search involving community members, relatives, and NADMO personnel.
Tempane District NADMO Director George Alale Akuka confirmed that search teams had covered a significant distance along the river but were yet to make a breakthrough by Monday afternoon.
He said traditional consultations had been initiated to help determine the likely location of the body.
“We are confident that in about a few hours from now, we will get him,” Mr Akuka said, adding that his team remained on site.
The family has appealed to the Ghana Police Service and NADMO to deploy professional rescue personnel and specialised equipment, citing the difficult conditions at the river.
They said the support was critical to ensuring a safe and effective recovery.
For a community that has lost a young man who spent his days helping strangers, the pain is particularly deep.
As the search enters its second day, the family waits anxiously for news that will bring them closure.
