Young family of hero who died after saving 13 people from drowning call for help
But for his demise, Joseph Blankson’s family would have been the most delighted over his heroics in Port Harcourt over a week ago.
The father of two young children had sacrificed his life to singlehandedly save 13 people – including his sisters – from drowning after their 24-passenger boat capsized on the fateful day. He was said to have drowned as he attempted to save a 14th person.
Out of 24 persons on the boat, only Blankson lost his life to the incident. The 36-year-old died after getting exhausted from diving in and out of the river on a rescue mission.
The remaining 10 passengers had been rescued by other boat drivers.
The wife, Mercy, now bears the burden as Blankson’s kids – a 4-year-old son and 7-month-old daughter – continue to ask their widowed mother when their father would return home.
“He was a loving and caring man, a very good father to our kids. He put people first, before himself. He was selfless,” Mercy tells CNN, a week after her hero husband left the world.
“I was at home waiting for him to come back from work because he works on Saturdays. From work, he went to the village, and when I called him at 2 pm, his phone was switched off.
“My son has been asking me about his dad. If I’m talking to someone on the phone, he says ‘mummy is that my daddy? mummy, can I see my dad?
“Normally when he [Blankson] travels we do video calls. This past Saturday, a week after he left, my son was really down. He felt everything emotionally. And my daughter has been crying because she knows something is wrong,” she said.
An unemployed Mercy tells CNN she is now looking out for job opportunities to provide for her kids’ upkeep. She confirmed that representatives from the Rivers State government have already visited her.
The state government will do well to reward Blankson’s heroics, by taking adequate care of the young ones he left behind.
