Teen footballer, 16, dies after drowning in a lake as club Fortuna Dusseldorf pays tribute
A talented teenage footballer has died after drowning in a lake, his club has confirmed.
Newton Opoku-Mensah was an up and coming star for Bundesliga 2 side Fortuna Dusseldorf. Born in Germany but of Ghanaian descent, the 16-year-old reportedly dived into Lake Berta, Duisberg, but did not resurface from the water.
Rescue teams and volunteers searched for the teenager and, upon finding him, Opoku-Mensah was rushed to hospital for treatment. Sadly, he did not survive.
Since news broke of his death, Fortuna Dusseldorf has suspended all youth team activity and has issued a statement paying tribute to the player.
The statement said: “Fortuna mourns U17 player Newton Opoku-Mensah. The young player had an accident while swimming in a lake in Duisburg on Tuesday evening and later died in hospital as a result of the accident. The entire club is shocked and in deep sorrow.
“The training and game operations of all youth teams from under-nine to under-19 will be suspended until further notice. Also, the reporting on the junior teams will first rest. The sympathy of the entire Fortuna family goes out to the relatives, the entire under-17 team and the staff at NLZ.”
A spokeswoman for the local police force added: “The boy, together with other teenagers, had gone to the Berta. We are investigating to reconstruct the circumstances that led to the accident and the tragic epilogue.”