In a heartbreaking turn of events,11-year-old Richard Kweku Okyere, a student at the Cape Coast School for the Deaf, tragically lost his life when he went swimming.

Accompanied by friends for an afternoon swimming, Richard’s innocent excursion turned fatal when he drowned in a nearby stream.

Despite the desperate efforts of his companions and nearby residents, Richard succumbed to the relentless force of the water on Sunday, March 10, 2024.

The news of Richard’s untimely demise has caused grief in the community, leaving family members and residents grappling with profound sorrow and disbelief.

The loss of young Richard who has been described by people in the community as promising, cast a somber shadow over Gomoa Potsin, prompting reflection on the inherent dangers of natural water bodies and the need for increased awareness and vigilance to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Eyewitnesses who spoke with Metro TV’s Central Regional Correspondent Akwasi Addo said young Richard went missing for a couple of hours and thereafter, all efforts by family and loved ones in the immediate community to locate him, proved unsuccessful.

But the sad news of his demise was later announced by his colleagues who went to the stream with him on the said fateful day. He unfortunately had already passed before the rescuers could get to him, leaving the family broken.

Metro TV gathers that young Richard who is challenged with hearing and speech impairments, was sent home by management of his school on some health related issues.

But just when his parents were readying to send him back to school after completing the medical results, the tragic incident hit them, throwing members of both his immediate family and other relatives into a state of shock and melancholy.

Last year in October, Metro News featured the deceased, Richard Kweku Okyere in a report covering his genuine passion to seek formal education despite his conditions.

He was determined to acquire an education which led to his enrollment at Cape Coast School for the Deaf before his untimely death.

The benevolence of some community members made his dream possible as they contributed to cater for his education. His death undoubtedly touched the emotions of the people in Gomoa Potsin and the adjoining communities.

By: Akwasi Addo & Bright Yao Dzakah | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana