KNUST Closes swimming pool after death of level 300 student
Story By: Deborah Adorsu
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has temporarily closed its swimming pool following the death of a Level 300 student, David Osei Agyapong.
The third-year Chemical Engineering student died on Saturday, November 7, 2026, after diving from the highest platform at the university’s swimming pool, said to be 17.6 feet high, and failing to resurface.
According to a statement issued by the University on Monday, November 9, 2026, Agyapong entered the water from one of the upper diving boards at about 5:10 p.m. but did not come back up.
Pool attendants retrieved him from the water after a few minutes and rushed him to the KNUST Hospital for emergency treatment.
Despite efforts by medical personnel to resuscitate him, he could not be saved.
Management described the deceased as “an experienced swimmer, a regular user of the swimming facility and a member of the KNUST basketball team.” He was also said to have helped teach others how to swim.
Following an emergency meeting, management has taken three major decisions:
- Closure of the pool – The KNUST Swimming Pool has been closed temporarily to students and the general public, pending investigations.
- Nine-member committee – A nine-member fact-finding committee has been set up to investigate the circumstances leading to his death. The committee has from Monday, November 9 to Friday, November 20, 2026, to submit its report.
- Police investigation – The KNUST Police have also commenced investigations, which will run alongside the committee’s work.
His body has been deposited at the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) morgue pending an autopsy to establish the actual cause of death.
University Relations Officer, Dr. Daniel Norris Bekoe, who signed the statement, said the inquiry was particularly important because no marks or cuts were found on the deceased’s body.
The University has extended its deepest condolences to his family and urged the public to respect their privacy and avoid speculation while investigations continue.