Ganta, Nimba County – A 21-year-old senior scholar at John Wesley Pearson Excessive College obtained drowned on Friday, December 26, 2025 within the Jackie Pool in Ganta Metropolis, Nimba County.
By D. Franklin Doloquee/ Nimba County
In accordance with a medical physician at Ganta United Methodist Hospital, Praising Womyon, the sufferer, met his premature dying round 4 p.m. whereas swimming with two buddies on the widespread Jackie Pool and Visitor Home, a leisure spot that has drawn crowds amid Ganta’s sweltering warmth.
Eyewitnesses instructed FrontPage Africa (FPA) that Womyon and one buddy have been bathing within the pool whereas the opposite stood watched on the sting. Tragically, Womyon was seen repeatedly getting out of the water and re-entering, exhibiting indicators of wrestle earlier than he vanished beneath the floor.
Regardless of frantic efforts by his buddies and bystanders, he couldn’t be saved in time.
This incident marks the fourth recognized deaths on the Jackie Pool and Visitor Home for the reason that facility opened in Ganta, a bustling border metropolis usually known as Liberia’s “industrial capital” for its vibrant markets and cross-border commerce with Guinea.
Earlier victims embrace an worker of ArcelorMittal Liberia and Henry Flomo, the Communications Director for Liberia’s Nationwide Elections Fee(NEC), each of whom, died on the visitor home. One, together with Womyon, have perished within the pool itself.
The positioning’s attract a uncommon oasis of cool water in Nimba County’s tropical local weather has turned lethal with out correct safeguards.
A Historical past of Pool Perils in Ganta
Ganta’s pool growth stems from a dire want for native recreation. Just some years in the past, with no amenities out there in Ganta , Nimba County, residents risked the hazardous journey throughout the border to Guinea’s swimming pools. That desperation claimed no less than one Liberian life in a drowning incident, sparking widespread panic amongst Ganta’s enterprise neighborhood and prompting entrepreneurs to spend money on homegrown alternate options.
In the present day, a number of swimming pools dot town, catering to households, college students and employees looking for aid from the dusty streets and relentless solar. But, experiences point out none make use of educated lifeguards or implement primary security protocols, corresponding to depth markers, non-slip surfaces, or restrictions on sturdy swimmers venturing into deep ends.
“Individuals come right here to calm down after church and through holidays, however with out guards, it’s a big gamble,” mentioned one native vendor close to the Jackie Pool, who witnessed the chaos on Christmas.
Group leaders are actually calling for pressing rules, together with necessary life-saving tools and licensed personnel, to forestall additional tragedies.
Broader Security Considerations Loom Over Ganta’s Progress
As Ganta cements its standing as certainly one of rural Liberia’s fastest-growing cities fueled by mining investments, agriculture, and commerce new dangers are rising.
Amid the vacation buzz, town faces potential catastrophe from widespread open air fuel gross sales, the place distributors hawk gasoline in jerrycans alongside crowded roadsides and markets, ignoring hearth hazards and spillage dangers.
This defiance highlights the stalled enforcement of a key mandate from President Joseph Boakai’s administration. Months in the past, the federal government alongside Vice President Jeremiah Koung, introduced strict rules requiring correct fuel stations with security measures like underground tanks, hearth extinguishers, and licensed operators. The objective: curb explosions and environmental harm plaguing Liberia’s casual gasoline commerce.
In Ganta, nonetheless, compliance is spotty. Whereas a number of enterprise house owners have upgraded to compliant stations, most proceed peddling petrol in open amenities, from roadside stalls to village outskirts.
“One spark from a cigarette or motorbike exhaust, and we might have an enormous blaze,” warned a bike rider who frequents the realm.
The lapse not solely endangers lives however undermines public belief in nationwide directives, particularly as Ganta’s inhabitants swells with vacation vacationers.
Residents and officers urge swift motion:
intensified patrols, fines for violators and public consciousness campaigns. As town hurtles towards larger prosperity, balancing progress with security might outline its future nor result in extra preventable losses like Womyon.
