By Mbuh Stella
A desperate search for Agyingi Hamlet, a 25-year-old man swept away by floodwaters at City Chemist Roundabout in Bamenda on Monday evening, ended in tragedy.
His body was discovered Tuesday morning in a swamp at Mulang Street IV, more than 15 kilometers from where he fell.
For his family and neighbors, the discovery was heartbreaking. What began as faint hope of survival turned into sorrow as the search came to a painful close.
Army Rescue and Community Join Forces
The Army Rescue Unit in Bamenda, supported by local volunteers, scoured drainage canals, bushes, and waterways this Tuesday.
Senior Warrant Officer Taku Paul, Chief of Center Army Rescue Bamenda, said two search teams were deployed.
“This morning at seven o’clock, we went to City Chemist where the young man fell into the water. We created two search teams, one to comb from City Chemist to Presbyterian Church Bridge, and another from the bridge down to the Army Rescue Bridge. After about 35 minutes into the search, we received a call that the body had been spotted around 15 kilometers away. With the help of the population, we recovered and cleaned the body before transporting it.”
He praised the community’s role in the search.
“The population did a great job. They were not just watching, they searched alongside us and alerted us when the body was found. This shows they are engaged whenever there is a situation.”
Warning to Residents
Hamlet’s death is the third drowning in Bamenda in just two weeks, according to the Army Rescue Unit. Officer Taku Paul issued a strong warning to residents.
“We are calling on everyone; children and adults to stay indoors when it rains and stay away from waterways. That is the only way to avoid future tragedies.”
For many Bamenda residents, Hamlet’s death is not just another casualty of seasonal floods. It is also a painful reminder that the city’s flooding problem is not just about weak infrastructure, but about lives cut short too soon.