The Central Region town of Apam was on Tuesday, March 17, thrown into a state of wailing and agony when the drowned 13 teenagers were laid to rest in a joint burial ceremony at the public cemetery in Apam.

Little did the teenagers who went reveling on Sunday, March 7, know that it was the last time they will swim in sea at the Apam Beach.

The over 20 teenagers had joined their other colleagues at the beach to swim as part of the town’s weekend beach entertainment called Sunday Special, but that was not to be.

According to sources the children were swimming when a strong wave struck and swept them away.

A search party was later organised but they were only able to save two of them Simon Dadzie and Godfred Apeatse .

The retrieval of lifeless bodies threw the town into a state of mourning and they made headlines across the world.

People kept asking the simple question; how could this have happened? But it was too late as families, friends and sympathisers mourn their loss.

It will take Apam a long time to be back to its bubbly best as Tuesday's release of the bodies to the families was another day to forget for the fishing community.

At the joint burial service organised on the premises of the hospital, the residents converged to pay their last respect while others line up along the streets crying and wailing.

The situation became emotionally charged during the burial service when authorities of the deceased schools did a roll call to expunge their names from the school register.

This happened while the families members stood behind the coffins of their departed ones and cried bitterly.

Minister of Fisheries Mavis Hawa Koomson on behalf of government made a cash donation to the bereaved families .