Divers have recovered the body of one of two sailors who went missing after their boat capsized in the Indian Ocean in Lamu on Sunday.
The body was recovered at the Mtangawanda jetty in Lamu East at about 8 am Wednesday by a team of Kenya Marine Police, Kenya Maritime Authority and local divers.
Lamu county commissioner Joseph Kanyiri and Lamu Red Cross coordinator Kauthar Alwy said the search continues for the second sailor.
The two sailors went missing after their dhow capsized at Mlango wa Pate in Lamu East. The dhow was transporting building materials.
“I'm the scene and it's true a male body believed to be one of the two sailors has been recovered. It has been collected by police,” Alwy said.
Kanyiri said they had requested police to recover the body for proper identification. "We suspect it's one of the sailors," he said.
The dhow had four sailors. Two were rescued by local divers during the 10 am incident. The dhow is suspected to have capsized due to overloading.
The two survivors remained admitted at the Lamu King Fahad Hospital in Lamu town. Sunday’s search had to be called off in the evening due to strong tides and darkness.
On August 13, 2017, ODM politician Shekue Kahale lost 12 family members including four children and his wife in the worst boat accident in Lamu. The boat capsized due to strong tides at the Mkanda channel. Only the politician survived after hours of swimming.
In June last year, a fisherman perished after a boat capsized at the Manda Maweni area. Three fishermen who were reported missing after their boat capsized in Ndau village in Lamu East. They have never been found.
Another deadly accident was on June 20, 2017, when 10 people perished after their boat capsized at the Mkanda channel. The boat had left Lamu town for Ndau village in Lamu East.
Edited by Peter Obuya
