A 49-year-old man identified as Fasasi Afeez reportedly died while trying to rescue his son, Kaleed, from a well at Gaa Jongbo, Maselu village in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State.
PUNCH Online gathered that the 17-year-old boy was drawing water from the well when his leg slipped and fell into the well.
In a bid to rescue his son, Afeez slipped and fell into the same well.
The Kwara State Fire Service in a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Hassan Adekunle, on Thursday, said Afeez was dead by the time he was rescued from the well while the boy was brought out alive.
The statement read, “Today, Thursday 22nd February 2024, a man of about 49-year-old called Mr Fasasi Afeez, his son, Kaleed Afeez, of Gaa Jangbo, Igbonna Road, Offa, Offa Local Government Area Kwara State, fell into a domestic well and we recovered the father dead while we were able to rescue the son alive at New Maselu Village, Offa.
“The terrible incident occurred this evening at about 04:11 pm (16:11hrs) and the Brigade was summoned through an exchange telephone call by One Alhaji Taiye Gadamosi living in that neighbourhood.
“However, firemen were able to recover the man dead from the well and later handed the corpse over to one of the family members of the deceased.
“According to the report, the victim boy went to fetch water from a domestic well and during the process of fetching water one of his legs suddenly slipped off the ground and eventually tumbled down into the well.
“Before the arrival of fire service, his father trying to rescue the victim in the process, his legs suddenly slipped off the ground and eventually tumbled down into the well too.”
Adekunle said the Director of Kwara State Fire Service, Falade Olumuyiwa, expressed sadness over the incident and urged the public to be more careful in their day-to-day activities.
Falade also advised that members of the public should desist from sending their under-aged children to fetch water from domestic well in their locality.