BRANDPOWER can confirm that the boat conveying Junior Pope and his colleagues got involved in an accident with a canoe leading to his death and the leaving four others missing
An eye witness said when the collision occurred, some people were found quickly and taken to the shore.
However, by the time those who rescued them out of the water were informed that there were others still in the river, it was too late for a non-professional swimmer or rescuer to do anything
A co-traveller and survivor has also given an account of how the boat in which Nigerian Actor, John Paul Odowondo, professionally known as Junior Pope, died got involved in an accident and capsized on Anam River in Anambra State on Thursday
According to available information, he and other actors and crew members numbering about 12 were in the boat returning to Asaba, the Delta State capital.
They left the location of a movie, titled: “The other side of Life,” produced by Adamma Luke.
The Survivor said “I’m alive, I’m a survivor from the situation that happened yesterday. It was was around1.30 to 2 in the afternoon. We’re all on the boat sitting with the director of movement, the production manager over and a lot of them on our way. Going to another destination on top of the river, and having some good conversation. Suddenly we raised our heads up, we saw a normal canoe boat, I don’t whether he’s looking for fish or whatever, and we are very close. So close, our pilot was trying to dodge and the canoe guy was trying to paddle fast to dodge but he could not make it. And we are that very close and that was how the people got up to jump inside the river and our own flying boat have to climb on top of his the canoe.”
“But because the tumbling of the flying boats inside the river, we were all in the river. We brought the passengers. We are 12 in number artists, remember director, production, manager, and camera assistant sound engineer production assistants. That was how we ended dow inside the river. And about 7 of us, try our best drag.
“Seven of us survived but several and five of them were missing inside the water, which is Junior Pope, the make-up artist to sound, man. They were missing for more than two hours. But It was later the divers with the help of other people, they have to go through inside the water. The divers have to go down deep inside the water time in and used a fishing net tied it to the leg of Junior Pope and start dragging him out…”
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