By Antony Gitonga
NAIVASHA, KENYA: The search for the missing youth who fell in the crater in Mt Longonot national park in Naivasha entered the second day as rescuers called in the help of a helicopter.
Emotions run high as relatives and friends of the missing youth camped in the renowned park praying and hoping for the best.
Red Cross officials joined Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) staff in the search in the dense forest inside the crater as hopes of finding the youth dwindled.
On Saturday an excursions from a group of youths from PCEA Kinoo turned tragic when two of them fell in the 500m deep crater.
The body of one of the youths was found hours later and taken to Naivasha district hospital as the search for the second one continued.
The youths fell into the crater after they were attacked by a swamp of bees after they used the wrong route.
According to the warden in charge of Hellsgate and Mt Longonot National parks Osman Ibrahim, the rescuers had ventured deep into the crater.
Osman regretted the death of one of the youths terming it as accidental noting that this was the first time such an incident occurred.
“We have embarked on the search for the second youth and we hope for the best and condole the family of the youth that died,” he said.
The senior officer said that Saturday search had to be called off due to darkness noting that the crater had some wild animals.
The incident comes exactly one year after seven youths died after they were washed by flash floods while on a tour of Hellsgate Park.
The youths were part of a group from PCEA Mukarara Dagoreti who were visiting the park’s gorge when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile one person died and scores of others were injured when a car they were travelling lost control and crashed into a gorge in Maella area.
According to Naivasha OCPD Charles Kortok the car that was carrying five people skidded before loosing control.
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He said that two of the occupants in the vehicle were seriously injured and were rushed to Naivasha district hospital.
“It was raining heavily and the driver skidded before crashing into a nearby gorge where he died,” he said.