The drowning of 13-year-old Jesse Atiah in a hotel swimming pool on April 2 has raised urgent questions about safety standards in hotels across the Upper East Region.

Jesse, described by his family as curious and inventive, dreamed of becoming a robotic 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.

Recounting the events of that day, Jesse’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.

“One of his friends came running back to tell me Jesse had drowned in a hotel pool,” she recalled, her voice weighed down by grief.

Still in shock, Grace said she quickly contacted her children and relatives before asking a neighbour to rush her to the scene, the NAB Hotel, where the incident had occurred.

What she encountered, she saw, was both devastating and disturbing.

Upon arrival, Grace said she approached bystanders and swimmers still using the pool, seeking information on 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 Jesse.

His age, his name. Then he simply said, ‘The boy is dead, the boy is dead,’ and walked away,” she recounted.

“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 disclosed that representatives from the hotel later presented GHS1,000 to community elders during the funeral. However, the family rejected the gesture.

“We sent the money back. They never came to check on us. Not even once,” she said.

Beyond the emotional pain, the family is now demanding accountability.

Grace insists the design and condition of the hotel’s swimming pool played a significant role in Jesse’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 alleged. “What is there is not a proper pool; it is something that can kill children.”

Attempts to obtain a response from the management of NAB Hotel were unsuccessful, as officials declined to comment, citing ongoing engagement with the family. 

When approached for an interview, the hotel manager, Halim Mohammed, popularly known as Vomojo, stated that he would not speak publicly because his team is currently working with the family to resolve the matter. 

However, sources indicate that the hotel owner has been in contact with law enforcement authorities but not with the family. 

Investigations by our reporter reveal that between November and April 2025, at least three people have died from drowning incidents in hotel swimming pools across the region. 

Two of those deaths reportedly occurred at the Atula Hotel between November and March.

When contacted by telephone, the hotel’s management acknowledged the incidents but stated that lessons had been learned. 

They added that measures have since been taken, including hiring more pool attendants and reducing the pool depth from seven feet to six feet.

These incidents point to a worrying pattern in a region with approximately 149 hotels, including budget and two-star facilities. Of this number, only 17 are equipped with swimming pools, yet safety concerns appear widespread.

Sources within the hospitality sector suggest that many pool attendants lack formal training. Some reportedly cannot swim and are employed primarily as casual staff with little or no professional preparation.

According to the Ghana Tourism Authority, hotels operating swimming pools are required to employ trained and certified lifeguards as part of mandatory safety standards.

However, the Upper East Regional Director of the Authority, Joseph Appiagyei, admits enforcement remains a challenge.

“Many of the pool attendants need further training,” he acknowledged, adding that plans are underway to organise capacity-building programmes in collaboration with the military and other institutions.

Mr Appiagyei, who recently assumed office, described Jason’s death as part of a troubling trend that must be urgently addressed.

He stressed that regulations clearly prohibit minors from using swimming pools without adult supervision.

“Underage persons, those below eighteen, must not be admitted alone. If they are, they must be accompanied by a responsible adult,” he stated.

Failure to comply with these regulations carries serious consequences.

“We will first caution operators. But if they continue to flout the rules and something unfortunate happens, we have the power to revoke their license,” he warned.

Preliminary findings from our reporter at the hotel’s pool days after the incident, and from the Ghana Tourism Authority, suggest that several of these regulations have been breached in Jesse’s case. 

The 13-year-old reportedly entered the facility with friends after paying GHS25 each.

The authority further indicates that the pool lacked clearly marked depth indicators, and safety signage was poorly positioned. 

As investigations continue, Jesse’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.

“Jesse will be celebrating his 14th birthday next month.

All we want is justice. Justice that no one’s child will suffer the same tragedy,” his grandmother, Grace Atiah, said.

With multiple drowning incidents recorded in recent months, the case has become a test of whether authorities will act to prevent further loss of life or whether such deaths will continue to pass without consequence.