A 20-year-old man, identified as Kombat Yaw Yiremiah, has drowned in a river separating Ghana and Togo at Tambalug in the Tempane District of the Upper East Region.

The tragedy occurred around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 16, 2026.

Kombat Yaw Yiremiah was reportedly assisting travellers to cross the river.

As of close of day on Monday (August 17, 2026) his body had not been found.

Community members, relatives and personnel of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) are engaged in a search.

Helping travellers turns tragic

According to the family, Yiremiah and some of his colleagues regularly assisted travellers, including Togolese nationals and people arriving from Kumasi, Accra, Bolgatanga and Tamale, to cross the river into Togo or vice versa.

The young man had reportedly gone about his usual activity on Sunday when the tragedy struck.

What started as an ordinary day of helping people navigate the river suddenly turned into a desperate search for his own life.

The Tempane District Director of NADMO, George Alale Akuka, confirmed that his team had been involved in the search for the missing young man's body.

He said the search team had covered a considerable distance along the river but had, as of Monday afternoon, not been able to locate the body.

Mr Akuka described the situation as serious, saying the team was continuing its efforts to locate and recover the body.

“So myself and my team, we are still on the ground searching for him,” he added.

Traditional intervention

The NADMO Director also disclosed that traditional considerations had become part of the recovery efforts, explaining that the community had consulted people who had previously been involved in locating victims in similar circumstances.

He said the team had been informed that, following the traditional consultation, there was confidence that the body could be located.
“They consulted the one who used to consult the gods before they see the victim, so they get the direction, and we are confident that in about a few hours from now, we will get him,” he said.

Mr Akuka, however, stressed that he and his team remained on the ground and would continue to monitor the situation.

Family appeal

Following the incident, the family and residents appealed to the Ghana Police Service and NADMO to provide the necessary support to recover the body.

They said professional rescue personnel and appropriate equipment were needed to conduct the search safely and effectively, particularly because of the difficult conditions at the river.

Community in shock

The incident has left the family and the Tambalug community devastated, particularly because Yiremiah was reportedly helping people cross the border river when he drowned.

The community is, therefore, appealing to the authorities to act swiftly to support the search and help bring closure to the grieving family.

As the search continues, the family remains anxiously waiting for the recovery of the body of their son.