One rescued, another missing as river sweeps away two children in Yobe
by Adenle Ahmed Abiola · The Eagle OnlineAdenle Ahmed Abiola
One child has been rescued while search efforts remain active for another child who was swept away by a river in Dapchi community, Bursari Local Government Area of Yobe State.
The incident occurred at about 2:30 pm on Sunday at Unguwar Bulama Alhaji Ahmadu in Dapchi community, when the river swept away two children.
One of the children, identified as a 14-year-old, was successfully recovered at about 5 pm after state and Bursari Local Government search and rescue teams, working alongside local divers, launched an immediate operation.
However, the second child remained missing as of the latest update, leaving the affected family and community anxiously awaiting news.
The Director of Search and Rescue Operations of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Dr M.I. Jalo, confirmed the incident in an alert issued on Sunday.
Jalo said the state and local government rescue teams, together with local divers, immediately commenced efforts to locate the children after the incident.
He confirmed that the first child was recovered at about 5pm, while the search for the second child continued.
The incident has raised renewed concerns over the dangers posed by rivers and other water bodies, particularly to children during the rainy season when water levels can rise rapidly, and currents become difficult to predict.
In a public safety advisory issued alongside the incident alert, Jalo warned parents and guardians to keep children away from rivers and riverbanks.
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He said, “Children must never play near or in rivers unsupervised. Even calm-looking water can hide strong undercurrents.”
The SEMA official also urged parents and guardians to exercise greater caution after rainfall, when water levels in rivers and streams could rise rapidly.
He advised residents against attempting to cross rivers when the water is high or flowing fast, while also warning against swimming or bathing in swollen rivers, particularly after heavy rainfall.
Jalo further cautioned members of the public against attempting untrained rescues when someone falls into a river.
“If someone falls into the water, do not jump in after them. Immediately call for help and alert local rescue teams or community leaders,” he said.
He said communities living around water bodies should also establish clear warning signs and restrict children’s access to dangerous areas during the rainy season.
The SEMA director stressed the importance of prevention, saying, “Water-related accidents can happen in seconds. Prevention is far better than rescue.”
As the search operation continued, Jalo expressed sympathy with the affected family and prayed for the safe recovery of the child still missing.
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