The family of a 12-year-old Nigerian boy, Damilola Afolabi who drowned in a Canadian lake, has been thrown into mourning after the tragic incident occurred barely two months after they relocated abroad in search of a better life.
Damilola reportedly drowned at Mahogany Lake in Calgary on Sunday after jumping into the water while playing with friends.
According to reports, the boy did not know how to swim and failed to resurface after entering the lake.
He was later pulled from the bottom of the lake and rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The deceased was buried on Wednesday at the Muslim Cemetery of Calgary as relatives and members of the community gathered to mourn him.
Speaking on the tragedy, family spokesperson Patrick Adda said the family had only recently moved from Ghana to Canada and were still trying to settle into their new environment.
“They came in here,” Adda said. “They have no one. And all of us here. We’re like angels that came in their lives to see how best we can help them migrating to the best place to live and work, which is in Calgary.”
According to the family, Damilola had been trying to make new friends and adapt to life in Canada. He was said to enjoy riding bicycles and spending time outdoors in his neighbourhood.
His grieving father, Jubreel Afolabi, said his son had returned from church on the day of the incident before asking to go outside and play.
“On Sunday, my son just came from the church, and he wanted to play a little at the front of the house,” he said.
“That’s the end. I would never see my son again, when I see my son, I saw his body lying there.”
The distraught father added that the family relocated abroad hoping to secure a brighter future for their children.
“When we were about to leave Ghana Dami said, ‘Daddy, thank you for the good life you are going to give us in Canada,’” Jubreel recalled emotionally.
“I didn’t know that my son would never be with me at this moment anymore.”
Damilola was one of four children in the family. Adda revealed that his younger sister has continued asking about him since his death.
“His little sister calls him Da,” Adda said. “And the little sister, who is just a few years old, had Da changing her diapers and everything, and she was asking,
‘Where is Da?’”
The incident has also reignited concerns over safety at Mahogany Lake, where several drowning cases have been recorded over the years.
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas reacted to the tragedy, saying it raises serious questions about public safety infrastructure around the lake area.
“It does make a bigger question, though, in terms of the type of supports and infrastructure and equipment we provide for our Calgary police and county fire departments,” he said.
Still overwhelmed by grief, the boy’s father said burying his son was a painful experience no parent should endure.
“I wish my sons would be the ones to bury me and not the other way around,” Jubreel said.
Reports added that a crowdfunding campaign has since been launched to support the bereaved family.
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