A 12-year-old boy, Damilola Khalid Afolabi, has died after drowning in Mahogany Lake in southeast Calgary, Canada.
According to reports, the tragic incident occurred on Sunday, May 3, after Damilola and others had been playing basketball before entering the water.
Emergency crews from the Calgary Fire Department were called to the lake at about 7:20 p.m. after receiving reports that a child had jumped from a dock and failed to resurface.
Rescue officials said poor visibility and cold temperatures made search efforts difficult. The boy was eventually found about 45 minutes later at a depth of more than six metres.
Firefighters pulled Damilola Khalid Afolabi from the water and transferred him to paramedics before he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. He was later confirmed dead.
Damilola was buried on Wednesday, May 6.
His grieving father, Jubreel Babatunde Afolabi, emotionally recounted how the family had only relocated from Ghana to Canada in March 2026 in search of a better life.
“When we were about to leave Ghana, Dami said, ‘Thank you for the good life you are going to give us in Canada,’” the father said during the funeral service.
“He was a great child to me. The meaning of Dami is that you are bringing joy and happiness… but today he’s no more with us.”
Family friends described the late boy as friendly and cheerful, while community members have since called for stricter safety measures around private lakes to prevent similar tragedies.
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