UPDF soldier drowns in water dam

A Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) soldier has died after drowning in a water dam belonging to National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in Gulu District, the police have reported.

Corporal Charles Omony attached to 4th Division army barracks reportedly drowned on Monday afternoon while fishing on Oyitino Dam located in Tedam village, Kasubi parish in Bardege Division.

The Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema told Daily Monitor in an interview Tuesday that the deceased was a security guard at the dam site before he met his death.

He said the deceased on the fateful afternoon was using a boat to fish but it capsized in water due to strong winds.
“We got information from witnesses that the deceased had set up his net to catch fish, he went back in the afternoon to check whether it had caught fish but his boat capsized in water,” Mr Okema said.

Mr Okema said the Fire brigade team yesterday rushed to the scene but failed to retrieve the deceased’s body due to the string wave adding that his body was found today [Tuesday] by the same team.

He said the body was taken to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital Morgue for postmortem to ascertain the exact cause of death.

The fourth Division Army Spokesperson Maj Telesphor Turyamumanya, when contacted in a telephone interview, said he had not got any information about the soldiers’ death but noted it was an unfortunate incident.
“I was away from the area but I promise to get particulars of the deceased and get back to you,” Maj Turyamumanya told this reporter.