A 14-year-old Grade 9 pupil drowned while attempting to rescue oxen that had plunged into a man-made earth dam in Mwala Subcounty, Machakos county.
The deceased was a pupil at Ngunyumu Primary School.
According to police, the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at Miseleni earth dam in Ulaani Village.
Preliminary investigations established that the teen identified as Patrick had gone to fetch water using an ox cart in the company of another juvenile, aged 10.
Police said that as the two boys descended towards the dam, the oxen pulling the cart unexpectedly walked straight into the water.
The boys jumped into the dam in an attempt to rescue the animals and the cart.
One managed to swim back to safety, but the deceased boy disappeared beneath the water.
Members of the public managed to rescue the oxen and
recover the cart before local divers began a search for the missing boy.
The body was retrieved from the dam at about 5.25 pm.
The body was moved to Tala Mortuary, where it is awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Police have classified the incident as an accidental drowning and urged members of the public, particularly children, to exercise caution around dams, rivers and other water bodies.
Elsewhere, a 30-year-old man is believed to have drowned while bathing in River Mogusii in Kitutu Central Subcounty, Kisii county.
The deceased was identified as Hamphrey Nyamwaro, who police said had been living with epilepsy.
According to police, the incident was reported on Saturday afternoon after members of the public spotted a person submerged in the river.
Preliminary findings indicate that Nyamwaro had gone to the river alone to bathe when the incident occurred.
His body was later spotted by a passer-by, who raised the alarm, prompting members of the public to rush to the scene and retrieve the body from the water.
Police said Nyamwaro is reported to have been suffering from epilepsy, and investigators are examining whether he may have suffered a seizure before drowning.
The body was moved to the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary, where it is awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Police have classified the incident as a suspected drowning pending the outcome of investigations and the autopsy.
Meanwhile, police in Mombasa county have launched investigations after the body of an unidentified man was found washed ashore near the Likoni Ferry crossing.
The body was discovered at about 5.50 pm on Saturday along the Indian Ocean shoreline near the mainland ferry ramp.
Police visited the scene and found the body of an
unidentified African male adult, believed to be about 45 years old, lying at
the water’s edge.
A preliminary examination revealed no visible external injuries.
Police suspect the man may have drowned elsewhere before ocean currents carried the body to the shoreline near the ferry crossing.
The body was removed to the Coast General Hospital
Mortuary, where it is awaiting identification and a post-mortem examination to
establish the exact cause of death.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing, and police have appealed to anyone with information that could assist in identifying the deceased to report to the nearest police station.
