It is no longer news that popular Nollywood actor, Pope Odonwodo, popularly known as “Junior Pope” is dead. He died during a boat trip transporting him and some of the film crew members to a nearby film set production.
Emeka Rollas, the National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, confirmed that the remains of Pope and four other crew members were recovered after the boat ferrying them to the set capsized. It was reported that the boat collided with another boat around the River Niger area in Anambra State, Nigeria.
A day before death struck, in an eerie premonition, Pope had put up a video on Instagram of himself and the crew members in a speed boat with no life jackets on. In the video, he was praying to arrive at his destination in peace and not pieces. His caption on the video was: “See me lamenting, the risk we take to entertain you, crossing River Niger yesterday with no life jacket…who does that? (sic)” he asked. Unknown to him, it would be his last video on earth. Pope died on April 10, 2024. He was only 39 years old and a few weeks away from his 40th birthday.
Junior Pope’s last picture before death struck a day later. His death has since generated many reactions and highlights the need for stringent safety measures when traveling by water. Here are some tips for boat riders to have a safe experience at sea:
Always wear a life jacket
There should be no ifs or buts about this. Everyone must wear a life jacket. The job of the life jacket is to keep one afloat in water. It will automatically put one in a face-up position which will keep the mouth and nostrils clear of water to prevent drowning.
Don’t overload the boat
Excessive overloading risks drowning and it is important to avoid this so that the lives of those onboard are protected.
Adhere to boat maintenance and check water levels
This is very important as the chances of a faulty boat will cause problems and wreak havoc. Also, the water levels of the sea must be checked before the trip so that whoever is sailing the boat will know how to navigate it safely.
Boat photo by Guduru Ajay bhargavDon’t drink while steering the boat
As it is said for road drivers, “Don’t drink and drive”, so is it for those boat riding. It is advisable to not drink and sail the boat as drinking can be detrimental and impactful when it comes to making the right navigational decisions.
Keep cell phones safely
This is very necessary to avoid unnecessary distractions. Most times, we want to share memories by taking pictures with our phones but it can cause problems while traveling in the boat if not done with caution.
It is necessary to adhere to safety measures and the captain or whoever is driving the boat has to make sure that the safety check boxes for the voyage have been correctly checked before going to sea. Otherwise, the journey can end up in disaster – it is always better to be safe than sorry.
May Junior Pope and all the crew members who perished in this tragedy rest in perfect peace.
