A 39-year old taxi driver attending a colleague's funeral at Abono has drowned in Lake Bosomtwe in the Ashanti region.

 

The deceased, identified only as Brother George was among a group of taxi drivers mourning the death of a colleague driver.

 

He drowned in his attempt to swim in the biggest natural lake in West Africa.

 

Eye witnesses say though the deceased had succeeded in two separate attempts earlier, he drowned on the third attempt, a development that shocked mourners at the funeral grounds.

 

It took the efforts of local divers to rescue the father of three, some minutes after he was seen gasping in the water for survival.

 

He had been rescued before the arrival of officials of the National Disaster Management Organization after a distress call had reached them.

 

But George was pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby Kuntenase Hospital.

 

District NADMO Coordinator, John Anane told Nhyira Fm police have taken over the investigations as the body is deposited at the St. Michael Hospital at Pramso.

 

Residents along the banks of the lake have recently been complaining of reduction of its coverage area.

 

There are concerns that about 100 meters of the area covered by water in the past is now dry land as a result of what is feared to be effects of human activities such as illegal mining and lumbering among others on its banks.

 

Meanwhile the Kuntenase police command has confirmed the incident.

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