*Photos by Nat Nyuan-Bayjay
Story by: Nat Nyuan-Bayjay

Residents of Monrovia mainly the coastal settlement of Mamba Point woke up early Thursday morning to the tragic news of a canoe capsizing that hit the coast of the Atlantic Ocean near Monrovia leaving two persons dead and 10 missing so far. The canoe with 22 persons onboard majority of them children and women was hit hard by the rising Atlantic tide after pickup from West Point headed for Grand Kru in the South eastern region of Liberia.

With occupants dominantly members of the Kru community, the canoe could not survive the growing tide along the Atlantic Coast which is normal during the rainy season in Liberia when the Atlantic prevents waters from smaller creeks, streams and rivers around Monrovia from entering.

A grieving lady, head of the team onboard the canoe who could not clearly express her words, told FrontPageAfrica in a hasty interview, as she was prevented from speaking by bystanders, that the incident occurred at 10 PM local time Wednesday night.

Grand Kru bound

“We were going to Grand Kru, but when we reached here, the canoe turned over, we were 22 people”, the lady who preferred to only be identified as Haja told FPA.

Haja says the route from West Point to Grand Kru is a usual ride for the canoe and explained that even business people traveling to that part of Liberia use the canoe due to the road conditions.

“The load was not much but just like last night when the rain came down, the heavy storm came, swell started going in the canoe. Two persons died, one little girl and that oldma that’s laying down there. There is the body and the police people say the owner must not take it. We not find the little girl yet because it was last night. The canoe left in the water”, Madam Haja narrated the incident.

Haja explains, the load taken from the canoe will be taken to her place for the owners to claim later and has already informed the owner of the canoe about the incident.

Bad roads force many to ride canoe

“That people load, they will collect it, I already inform the canoe owner”, Haja who was ripped away from the interview by the crowd, stated.

Canoe rides are a normal occurrence as people use canoes to get to coastal counties mostly in the Southern part of Liberia.

The deplorable road conditions in the southeastern counties is one major reason for the risky journey by sea.

Grand Kru, Maryland, Sinoe and River Gee are nearly inaccessible by road due to the long, bad road leading to that region.

In April this year, a mini-fishing ship in the port city of Buchanan had an accident that left one person dead and another feared dead.

The fishing boat was headed for the same southeastern part of Liberia.