Pader, Uganda: A 50-year-old man identified as Charles Otim drowned on Thursday afternoon while checking fishing nets in River Agago, at a location locally known as “Wang Kony Boo” in Agweng West Village, Pader Sub-county.
Otim, a resident of the same village, reportedly went to the river while under the influence of alcohol, according to his brother Peter Opoka. Concerned community members had attempted to stop him from heading into the water, but he insisted on proceeding between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
When Otim failed to return, his son began searching and discovered only his father’s clothes, gumboots, and dog by the riverside. Fearing he had drowned, residents mounted a search operation that resumed early Friday morning. His body was later retrieved from the river after several hours of effort.
The Chairperson of Agweng West Village, David Ongwech, confirmed the recovery of the body and commended the local residents for their coordination in the search.
Pader Sub-county Chairperson III, Charles Kainan Okello, who visited the scene alongside officers from Kilak Corner Police Post, urged residents to avoid risky behavior near water bodies. “Residents should avoid entering water bodies while drunk, because such behavior endangers lives,” Okello cautioned.
Police later handed over Otim’s body to his family for burial. He is survived by a wife and nine children.
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