A  36-year-old contractor, Joe Blankson, has been proclaimed hero by residents of Bakana, Rivers State, after single-handedly rescuing 13 passengers in a boat mishap and died in the process on Saturday.

According to reports, the father of two was trying to rescue the 14th person when he died in the river and his body recovered a day after.

A survivor attributed the tragedy to the dirt on the waterways as well as uncontrollable speed of the captain.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, revealed that one person died in the accident.

He added that Blankson might have died of exhaustion after rescuing more than 12 persons. He said, “The report we got from the police in that area was that only one person died.”

Also, the man that died had rescued more than 12 persons and could have died out of exhaustion. They were 24 and 23 were rescued. The only person that died has been found and he was buried the day he was found.”