The drowning of 13-year-old Jason Atiah in a hotel swimming pool on April 2 has raised urgent questions about safety standards in hotels across the Upper East Region.
Jason, described by his family as curious and inventive, dreamed of becoming a robotics engineer. He spent his free time collecting tin containers and shaping them into toy cars, early signs, they say, of a future in engineering that was cut short.
What began as a routine trip back to school to retrieve his bicycle ended in tragedy.
A routine errand turns fatal
Recounting the events of that day, Jason’s grandmother, Grace Atiah, said the boy had returned home from school and later informed her he was going back to campus to retrieve his bicycle.
An hour later, panic struck.
“One of his friends came running back to tell me Jason had drowned in a hotel pool,” she said.
Still in shock, Grace said she contacted her children and relatives before asking a neighbour to rush her to the scene, the NAB Hotel, where the incident occurred.
What she encountered, she said, was both devastating and disturbing.
“The boy is dead”
Upon arrival, Grace said she approached bystanders and swimmers still using the pool, seeking information about where her grandson had been taken.
Instead, she received what she described as a cold, dismissive response.
“A man with a golden tooth, later confirmed to be the hotel owner, started asking me questions about Jason, his age, his name. Then he simply said, ‘The boy is dead, the boy is dead,’ and walked away,” she said.
The shock overwhelmed her.
“I fainted right there. The next thing I remember was waking up at home,” she added.
For the grieving grandmother, what followed was equally painful, not just the loss, but what she described as the hotel’s lack of empathy.
“Not even a day passed, and the hotel continued with loud activities as if nothing had happened,” she said. “Even on the day of his burial, there was noise.”
She said representatives from the hotel later presented GH¢1,000 to community elders during the funeral, but the family rejected the gesture.
“We sent the money back. They never came to check on us, not even once,” she said.
A pool or a death trap?
Beyond the emotional toll, the family is demanding accountability.
Grace alleges that the design and condition of the hotel’s swimming pool contributed to Jason’s death.
“If you look at that pool, it is not properly designed. It is not safe for children, yet they allow kids to use it,” she said. “What is there is not a proper pool, it is something that can kill children.”
Attempts to obtain a response from NAB Hotel were unsuccessful. Management declined to comment, citing ongoing engagement with the family.
The hotel manager, Halim Mohammed, popularly known as Vomojo, said he would not speak publicly because the matter is being handled with the family.
However, sources indicate that while the hotel owner has been in contact with law enforcement authorities, there has been no direct engagement with the family.
A pattern of preventable deaths
Jason’s death is not an isolated case.
Investigations by this reporter indicate that between November and April 2026, at least three people have died in drowning incidents in hotel swimming pools across the region.
Two of the deaths reportedly occurred at the Atula Hotel between November and March. When contacted, the hotel’s management acknowledged the incidents and said measures have since been taken, including hiring additional pool attendants and reducing the pool depth from seven feet to six feet.
These incidents point to a troubling pattern in a region with approximately 149 hotels, including budget and two-star facilities. Of these, only 17 have swimming pools, yet safety concerns appear widespread.
Sources within the hospitality sector say many pool attendants lack formal training. Some reportedly cannot swim and are employed as casual staff with little or no professional preparation.
Regulatory gaps and weak enforcement
According to the Ghana Tourism Authority, hotels operating swimming pools are required to employ trained and certified lifeguards.
However, the Upper East Regional Director of the authority, Joseph Appiagyei, said enforcement remains a challenge.
“Many of the pool attendants need further training,” he said, adding that plans are underway to organise capacity-building programmes in collaboration with the military and other institutions.
Appiagyei, who recently assumed office, described Jason’s death as part of a troubling trend that must be urgently addressed.
Rules ignored, lives lost
He said regulations prohibit minors from using swimming pools without adult supervision.
“Underage persons, those below 18, must not be admitted alone. If they are, they must be accompanied by a responsible adult,” he said.
Failure to comply with these regulations, he warned, could lead to sanctions.
“We will first caution operators. But if they continue to flout the rules and something unfortunate happens, we have the power to revoke their licence,” he said.
Preliminary findings by this reporter and the Ghana Tourism Authority suggest several safety requirements may have been breached in Jason’s case.
The 13-year-old reportedly entered the facility with friends after paying GH¢25 each. The authority also indicated that the pool lacked clearly marked depth indicators and that safety signage was poorly positioned.
A call for accountability
As investigations continue, Jason’s death is intensifying calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations in hotel facilities across the region.
For his family, however, the focus remains on accountability.
“Jason would have been celebrating his 14th birthday next month. All we want is justice — justice so no other child suffers the same tragedy,” his grandmother said.
With multiple drowning incidents recorded in recent months, the case is shaping into a test of whether authorities will act to prevent further loss of life, or whether such deaths will continue without consequence.
A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga
