GAF Helicopter Crash: Gary Al-Smith and Lydia Forson Slam Media Over Graphic Coverage
- Gary Al-Smith and Lydia Forson have both slammed the Ghanaian media over the graphic coverage of the Ghana Air Force crash
- The accident, which took place at Adansi Akrofuom, claimed the lives of eight persons, including five Ghanaian politicians
- Taking to their platforms on X, they urged the media to be respectful in their coverage of such gory accidents in the future
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Sports journalist Gary Al-Smith and actress Lydia Forson have called out sections of the Ghanaian media for what they described as insensitive coverage following the tragic Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
Source: Instagram
Ghanaian media slammed over helicopter crash coverage
The military Z-9 helicopter, which departed Accra at 9:12 a.m., crashed near Sikaman in the Adansi Akrofuom area of the Ashanti Region.
All eight passengers on board - including Dr Edward Omane Boamah, MP Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, and others - perished in the accident.
As images and videos of the wreckage and charred remains surfaced across various social media platforms and news portals, prominent voices raised concerns about the lack of dignity shown to the deceased and their grieving families.
Actress and activist Lydia Forson expressed her frustration on X (formerly Twitter), saying:
“I genuinely despise the gory spectacle we make out of death. The rush to post graphic images, shove cameras in grieving faces, and ‘break’ the news as if it’s some twisted competition for clicks; it’s disgusting."
She further stated that the media should have shown a little humanity in the coverage of the news surrounding the accident scene of the GAF helicopter crash.
"People have lost their lives. Families are mourning. Can we not show just a little humanity? A little tact? The media especially; you lead the charge in this dehumanization. What happened to respect for the dead? What happened to dignity? These are human beings, not content. Not headlines.”
Sports journalist Gary Al-Smith also weighed in and cited an example of the coverage of the late 28-year-old Portuguese and Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota, who passed away in a ghastly accident in Spain last month.
“Diogo Jota died. Dignified coverage. Respectful distance from the gory scenes. And then there's us. Live coverage of remains, live coverage of cocoa sacks being used to convey them, zero dignity in their final moments. We, the GH media, we all must do better,” Gary wrote on X.
GAF helicopter crash victims sent to SA
YEN.com.gh also reported that samples from the remains of the eight victims of the Ghana Armed Forces helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofuom on August 6, 2025, have been flown to South Africa for DNA testing. The samples were transported aboard a private jet owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama.
The crash claimed the lives of high-profile individuals, including former Defence Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah and Tamale Central MP Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed. Due to the condition of the bodies, DNA tests are needed to confirm the identities before burial arrangements could be made.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
