Tragedy on Volta Lake: One Drowns, Five Saved After Distressed Cow Causes Canoe Accident at Yeji

A 21-year-old man, Mathias Kpodovia, has drowned following a canoe accident on the Volta Lake at Isaka Kura, a suburb of Yeji in the Pru East District of the Bono East Region. Five other occupants, including the canoe operator, survived the ordeal.

The incident occurred on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at approximately 11:30 a.m. along the Isaka Kura-Tonka-Yeji water route. The canoe was transporting six people, a tricycle, and a cow when trouble began mid-journey.

According to the operator, identified simply as Promise, the cow suddenly became restless and began struggling inside the vessel. The panic onboard forced two passengers to jump into the lake in fear. While one passenger managed to stay afloat, Kpodovia was submerged and could not be immediately saved.

The operator, identified as Promise, immediately raised an alarm with local residents along the shore. A local search-and-rescue team spent several hours scouring the area before successfully retrieving Kpodovia’s body. Police personnel have deposited the remains at the Matthias Hospital morgue pending further investigations into the incident.