Man drowns during baptism

A 20-year-old man drowned while being baptized in River Densu south of Ghana’s capital Accra this week.

In a video that did rounds on social media, the man fails to emerge from the water after being immersed by the pastor.

Accra Regional Police Command spokeswoman Afia Tenge told the BBC that Pastor Yaw Kyeremeh had been arrested in connection with the death but investigations are still ongoing.

The deceased’s body will undergo an autopsy before it is given to the family for burial.

According to his brother Evans Alexenest, the family will not pursue the matter in court because ‘what’s done is already done.’

In 2010, a similar incident happened in Moldova after a priest has been accused of accidentally drowning a six-week-old boy as he baptised him.

Father Valentin was accused of failing to cover the baby’s mouth and nose while baptizing him and a clip showed the baby struggling to breathe while being dressed.

Shortly afterward he started bleeding and died.

Doctor Sergiu Raileanu, who examined him, confirmed that the baby had drowned.