What began as a routine weekend chore ended in tragedy for a family in the Volta Region after a six-year-old girl, Sarah Ahiafor, drowned in an irrigation pond at Sonitra, a suburb of Kpetoe in the Volta Region.
The heartbreaking incident occurred on Sunday, February 1, 2026, and has once again drawn attention to the dangers posed by open water bodies, especially when children are left unsupervised.
Preliminary information from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) indicates that Sarah had accompanied a group of other children to the site to wash clothes. The irrigation facility, described as a pond-like structure, proved fatal when the young girl reportedly slipped into a deeper section of the water.
Personnel from the Kpetoe Fire Station received a distress call at about 1:40 p.m. and swiftly proceeded to the scene. A rescue operation was immediately launched by a team led by Assistant Station Officer (ASTNO) David Dzakah.
Although the team managed to retrieve the child from the pond, all attempts to revive her were unsuccessful.
In a statement issued on Monday, February 2, the GNFS Volta Regional Command confirmed that no adult was present at the site at the time of the incident.
The Service warned that irrigation ponds and other open water sources across the region pose serious risks, particularly during the dry season when children often visit such areas for household chores or recreational activities.
“The GNFS advises parents and guardians to ensure that children do not visit or engage in activities around ponds, irrigation sites, and other open water bodies without adult supervision,” the statement said.
Sarah’s body has since been handed over to the Ghana Police Service for preservation at a mortuary, as investigations continue to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
The GNFS extended its condolences to the bereaved Ahiafor family, emphasising that preventing such tragedies requires collective vigilance and a strong commitment from parents, guardians, and the wider community.
