Katoudié: A student from UGB dies by drowning in a branch of the Casamance River

It is with great sadness that we report news that the Bignona department is plunged into mourning. A tragedy has occurred in the village of Katoudié, in the commune of Suelle. A 21-year-old student, Younousse Diémé, drowned in a branch of the Casamance River that borders the village.

The incident occurred this Monday. The victim was participating, alongside villagers, in a mangrove reforestation project. At the end of the activity, while the rest of the participants were returning to the village, a group of young people decided to extend the day with a swim. It was during this swim that the tragedy occurred: Younousse Diémé suddenly sank, and his friends were unable to come to his aid.

Alerted, the residents mobilized en masse, using makeshift means to try and find the young man, quickly joined by members of the Bignona fire station. Despite several hours of joint searching, the body remained missing until nightfall, forcing the teams to suspend operations at 7 p.m.

The search resumed early Tuesday morning. The victim's body was finally recovered around 1 p.m. at the exact spot where she drowned.

A student at Gaston Berger University (UGB) in Saint-Louis, Younousse Diémé was also the starting central defender for ASC Simindou Coly of Katoudié (Zone 11 of the ODCAV of Bignona). His sudden death has left his family, his village, and the local Navétane movement in deep mourning, marking a particularly tragic end to the holidays for the student community in the area.