Emmanuel Yasan, the husband of Helena Yasan, the woman who tragically died with four others after her car veered off the road into the Owabi River, has spoken about his family’s untimely passing.
In a video aired on Angel FM on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, Emmanuel, a butcher, recounted the events surrounding the accident, explaining that he last saw his wife and children on the morning of the fatal day.
“I spoke to my wife and informed her of my intention to travel to Accra for my brother’s ordination. On the morning of the incident, I decided to go to the farm to source supplies for my customers, so I bid her farewell before leaving.”
He added that he learned of the accident when one of his workers informed him that a car had veered off the road and plunged into the river.
Emmanuel explained that attempts to rescue those in the vehicle were hindered by the high water levels. Efforts to contact emergency services were also unsuccessful.
“I called one of my workers, who said he was by the river where a car had fallen in. I rushed to help with the rescue because my wife was a driver and would not pass by without helping. The water level was high, so we called the fire service and the police, but no one responded.”
He shared that he felt a strong urge to contact his wife, but his calls went unanswered. He then went to his children’s school but did not find them there.
“I called her phone, but she didn’t answer. Since there was a blackout the previous night, I assumed her battery had died. I went to her workplace, but she wasn’t there, so I checked the children’s school. When they weren’t there either, I returned to the river where the accident had occurred.”
Community members later performed traditional rites, allowing a rescue team to recover the car.
“They performed traditional rites in the water, which allowed the team to retrieve the car. One of my workers tied a rope to the vehicle to pull it out, but we couldn’t. Eventually, the fire service arrived and helped. My wife always brought home animal feed in a sack, so when I saw the sack, I realised it was her car. They brought her and my children out dead,” he recounted.
Background
The bodies of five people, including a mother and her child, were retrieved from the Owabi River on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, after their car plunged into the water.
Reports indicate that the Opel saloon car, traveling from Dabaa to Akropong in the Ashanti Region, veered off the main road, overturned, and crashed into the river.
The deceased include the driver, Helena Yasan, her two daughters, and two other passengers: Boamah Gyasi Eric, a plumber, and Rita Agyare, a teacher at the Akropong Roman Catholic Basic School.
The victims have been identified as 40-year-old seamstress Helena, 28-year-old plumber Boamah Gyasi Eric, 10-year-old Lordina Yasan, 41-year-old teacher Rita Agyare, and five-year-old Doreen Yasan.
Following rescue efforts by the National Disaster Management Authority (NADMO) and locals, the bodies were transferred to the Mount Sinai morgue. Authorities have launched an investigation into the accident.
MAG/OGB
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