The usual weekend football practice by members of the ‘Sportslife’ International at the Police oval, Kingtom in Freetown, ended up in tragedy last Saturday after lightening struck dead Pastor Augustus Sahr and left Sheku Fofanah and Ajina Sesay in critical conditions.
Amidst commiserating clamour at the Kingtom Police hospital, Mohamed Sorie who was playing in one of the teams when the lightening struck narrated: “we were practicing in the rain at the Police field when the lightening struck; the pressure threw all of us to the ground of the muddy pitch.”
He continued: “when we got up, Pastor Sahr together with the other two were still laying on the pitch.”
Sorie, who seemed terrified by the incident, mumbled in tears: “Pastor fell face down, when the lightening struck and incurred serious injuries on his head and lower lip.”
“I saw the other two grasped for life; but Pastor was lying motionless,” Sorie said, as tears streamed down his cheeks.
Coach Ibrahim Okon Koroma, who was the referee for the practice, graphically narrating the incident, stated that, “Pastor Sahr was the first to come to the field [that] morning…”
Before the match, the coach explained, “we were discussing ways on how to make the ministry grow since our ministry [Sportslife International] has just concluded fun games for kids.”
“It was not too long when we started playing”, he continued, “when the rain began to fall, the thunder and lighting that followed sent all 22 players to the ground.”
He went on, “I received electric shocks from the metal goalpost I was leaning on when the lightening struck.”
Coach Koroma stated that three players were unable to get up, adding that he called on the other players to examine the three.
The coach affirmed that the two were moving but Pastor Sahr was motionless, noting that because of their critical condition the victims were later taken to the Kingtom Police clinic where the Man of God was announced dead and the two admitted.