A heartbreaking tragedy struck the Eligbolo community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, as two teenage brothers, identified as Miracle Peters (16) and Emma Peters (17), drowned during a flood that followed a heavy downpour on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
According to eyewitnesses, the brothers lost their lives while trying to rescue a neighbour trapped in the floodwaters. After successfully helping the person to safety, the tragedy occurred when Emma’s footwear slipped off, and as the brothers attempted to retrieve it, the strong water current swept them away.
Grieving Mother Recounts the Painful Incident
Their mother, Mrs. Onyinyechi Peter, narrated the devastating experience to journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday, saying she had returned home to discover that her sons were missing.
“I came back and asked where they were. One of my neighbours said someone had called them to come and help. They went and helped the person cross into their house,” she recounted.
Mrs. Peter said after helping the person, her sons tried to recover Emma’s slippers that had been swept off by the water, despite warnings from onlookers to leave it.
“They were trying to collect the slippers, but the flood was too strong. It carried both of them away,” she said tearfully.
Another resident reportedly saw the boys struggling in the water but assumed they were playing. By the time help arrived, it was too late.
“Before the water carried them away, they were shouting for help. One man said he heard a noise but couldn’t come out in time,” the distraught mother added.
Search Still Ongoing
As of Monday, the bodies of the teenage brothers had not yet been recovered, with community members and local authorities continuing search efforts along the flooded area.
The incident has left the community in deep mourning, with residents calling on the government to improve drainage systems and implement urgent flood-control measures to prevent further loss of lives.
