In a heartbreaking twist of fate, a good Samaritan who risked his life to save a teenage girl from a flooded gutter in Aba, Abia State, was swept away by the same rushing water alongside the girl he tried to rescue.

The tragedy occurred on Sunday evening at Ukwu Mango, Faulks Road, during a downpour, leaving residents and sympathisers scrambling desperately to find the two missing persons.

The Samaritan reportedly slipped into the gutter while attempting to rescue the girl, only for the surging floodwater to sweep both of them away.

Residents immediately launched a frantic search, hoping to find the pair alive, but their efforts yielded no result, fuelling fears that the victims might have been carried into the Aba River.

The desperate search entered a new phase on Monday as the Abia State Fire Service and other government officials joined residents in combing the drainage channels for the missing duo.

Police personnel also arrived at the scene to control the crowd and maintain order as the rescue operation continued.

However, as of the time of filing this report, the victims remained missing, leaving their families and the community in agonising uncertainty over their fate.

When Vanguard contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Maureen Chinaka, she promised to revert but had yet to do so at the time of filing this report.

Aba’s flat terrain makes the commercial city prone to flooding, particularly during heavy rainfall. (Vanguard)