The corpse of a footballer, Earnest Peremobowei, who drowned at Yenebelebiri community in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has been recovered and deposited in the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.
He was said to have drowned after saving five other occupants of an ill-fated boat.
They were said to be travelling to Yenebelebiri when the boat capsized after running into the Yenagoa jetty barge.
The 31-year-old was the joint top-scorer at this year’s Bayelsa Governor Football Tournament, also known as Prosperity Cup, netting nine goals during the competition.
His sibling, Earnest Komboye, who confirmed the incident, said he died of exhaustion after saving five occupants of the boat on Friday.
Komboye said they were trying to cross over to the Yenebelebiri community to check the level of devastation of their houses and farmlands by the flood when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, organisers of the Prosperity Cup led by its Director-General, Ono Akpe, commiserated with the family of the late Peremobowei.
Akpe, who recounted the skills and passion of the late footballer, who also played for the Dreams Academy at the last state FA Cup finals, said the state had lost one of its brightest future stars to the flood disaster.
He said, “His exploits and bravery are exemplary. The fact that he saved five persons before succumbing to the raging torrents is indeed quite unfortunate. He was indeed a hero.”