Liberia: Boy Discovered Dead After Falling in Water Well

Buchanan, Grand Bassa County – A 14-year-old boy identified as Emmanuel Flomo has been found dead in the Biafra Community of Buchanan after drowning in a well of water.

The victim, who was found dead on October 11, was a 1st grade student of the Buchanan Community School located in the Biafra Community.

Saturday Flomo, the father of the deceased, told FrontPageAfrica that he broke down when he was told about the demised of his teenage son.

“The well is a minute walk away from our house,” he told reporters in the port city as neighbors looked on.

“I was sitting and listening to Truth FM when I heard the noise at the front of the house that someone had fallen into a well not knowing it was my son”.

Flomo then hurried at the front of the house only to realize that it was his son who had fallen into the well.

“The well has been opened for a long period of time but I can’t tell the number of years it has been opened for, besides I don’t know who sent my son to fetch water from that open well,” he said.

Mr. Flomo said that the deceased had suffered from “an unknown” sickness but he didn’t disclose the actual ailment.

But one neighbor of the deceased, who asked not to be named, told FrontPageAfrica that the deceased had often experienced seizure, which he said appeared to be a sign of epilepsy. 

He said the deceased had shown the sign of suspected mental illness for long period of time.

Other neighbors said the deceased had gone to fetch water for bathing but was later seen falling into the well.

Wesseh Jebo, the community leader, told reporters that he had warned members of the community about covering their water wells with lid but compliance has not been forthcoming from the residents.

“Most of the community dwellers refused to listen, and today we are victimized by the death of the boy,” the community leader said.

“I really regret the situation because a member of the community, who could have been a leader for this Community or the Country, is gone “.

Mr. Jebo promised “to be more active in ensuring that open holes and wells are covered properly “so as to avert a reoccurrence. 

Meanwhile, the Liberia National Police detachment in the county says it will further investigation to the death of the teenager.