2 US sailors die in hotel

Front Page: January 3, 2008
Story: Albert K. Salia
TWO US Navy sailors, said to be “on shore leave in West Africa”, were found dead in their hotel rooms in Accra on New Year’s Day.
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Frank Adu-Poku, told the Daily Graphic that the cause of death was not known but said the CID was investigating the incident, in collaboration with US Navy officials.
He said a third sailor who was found to be in coma had been revived.
The two naval officers were part of the Africa Partnership Station (APS), an initiative recently launched by the US to support regional maritime security and safety in West and Central Africa.
It began the training of Ghana’s Naval officers in Tema on November 20, 2007.
The APS is a floating continuing education and training facility located on board the USS Fort McHenry, a 185-metre dock landing ship normally used to support amphibious operations, which is expected to impart knowledge on issues such as maritime security and fisheries protection to Ghanaian Naval officers.
DCOP Adu-Poku said the US Embassy had flown in an investigator from Italy to work in collaboration with the CID in finding clues to the deaths.
He said the bodies, which were currently at the Police Hospital morgue, would be flown to Germany for post-mortem to help establish the cause of death.
He explained that US Embassy officials said the US had modern facilities in Germany to help undertake a thorough post-mortem analysis.
Consequently, he said, a Ghanaian pathologist and an investigator would accompany the bodies, which were expected to be flown to Germany today.
DCOP Adu-Poku said the third US Naval officer who was revived at the 37 Military Hospital had been discharged and was assisting in investigations.
He said the identity of the resuscitated officer was being withheld for security reasons, while the identities of the deceased were yet to be communicated to their next of kin.