The University of Ghana (UG) has denied reports that a final year economics student, Dennis Akoto, drowned in the school’s swimming pool over the weekend.
Speaking to Citi News, Director of Sports at the University, Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu, said a lifeguard stationed at the poolside rescued and performed mouth to mouth resuscitation on the student before rushing him to the hospital, where he later died.
Twenty-two-year-old Dennis Akoto, was found unconscious in the University of Ghana swimming pool over the weekend. Questions have been raised about the safety and supervision of swimmers, with some contending that the lifeguards could have spotted him in distress much earlier if they were more vigilant.
Dr Bitugu defended the actions of the lifeguards, saying they responded in time, and that other factors may have contributed to the death.
“The student had a condition. He was brought out of the water, he was still alive. It was even at the shallow point, 4ft end. They attempted resuscitating him and when they stabilized his conditions, they took him to the hospital…
The UG Director of Sports continued that investigations are ongoing and a post-mortem is to be carried out to establish the actual cause of death.