‘How I survived Gelegele boat mishap with my baby’

Mrs Mabel Sule, who was involved in a boat mishap on the Gelegele River in Edo State, has narrated how she survived the accident with her baby. 

Last week, a passenger boat collided with an oil barge in Gelegele River in Ovia North-East Local Government of Edo State. 

Narrating her ordeal to journalists in Benin, Mrs Sule said she was carrying her baby on her lap when the incident happened. 

According to her, she and other 27 market women were onboard the boat en route to Ekewan Market to sell their goods when the accident happened. 

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Mrs Sule, who spoke through an interpreter, said, “As we left the shore of the Gelegele River, our engine developed a fault, but as the driver was trying to fix it, the tide of the river moved our boat and suddenly hit two badges that were stationed in the river. We found ourselves under the badge inside the river. 

“As the boat capsized, everyone started scampering for safety by swimming but unfortunately, we were under the badges, so some persons couldn’t survive as they were unable to swim out. 

“I found myself under the badge inside the river. So, I held the baby with one hand and used the other hand to swim. But as I was swimming and trying to raise my head above the water, I hit my head against the badge repeatedly like three times.” 

“I went deep again and started swimming until I saw the brightness of the sky while still deep in the river, that was when I raised my head. I thought my baby had already drowned, but fortunately, he survived.” 

Mrs Sule lamented that she lost all her plantain worth over N200,000 that she was taking to Ekewan market to sell. 

She called on the government of Edo State to assist her to go back to his business.