The body of another teenager who drowned at the beach in Apam in the Central Region has been washed ashore.

Locals found the lifeless body of the teenager on Thursday morning, bringing to 13, the number of teenagers whose bodies have been recovered from the sea after they drowned while swimming on Sunday, March 7, 2021.

The deceased was identified as 13-year-old Koo Joe.

His body was found in a state of decomposition.

According to an uncle of the boy, Kwesi Ackom, his nephew will be buried immediately due to the nature of decomposition of the body.

“It has been two days since I got information that he had drowned at sea. I am a fisherman and I left my canoe around 10 pm last night. I returned today, only for us to find him on the shores of the sea. He is the only son of his mother and was 13 years old. He was a student and was in Class 6,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Gomoa West Security Council has disclosed that a burial service will be held next week Tuesday for 12 teenagers who drowned in the sea at Apam on Sunday.

“The bodies will be given to individual families. We are not going to have a mass burial as we had earlier suggested,” the District Chief Executive for Gomoa West, Bismark Baisie Nkum said to Citi News.

According to the council, the event which was originally slated for today has been postponed to pave way for some rites to be performed by the community.

The victims in the drowning incident were aged between 13 and 18 years.

Some reports indicated that over 20 teens may have drowned in the incident, but 13 bodies have been recovered so far.

A preliminary report by the police indicated that while the teens were swimming, a heavy tidal wave overwhelmed them leading to the tragedy on Sunday evening.