Grief as fisherman drowns in Lake Victoria

Some of the boats used in Lake Victoria. [James Omoro, Standard]

Grief has engulfed a family in Homa Bay County after a 39-year-old fisherman drowned in Lake Victoria.

The fisherman, identified as David Odhiambo, met his death at Litare, Rusinga Island in Mbita Sub-county on Wednesday.

According to the Assistant Chief of Kamasengre West Sub-location Meshack Wachianga, Odhiambo drowned when a storm occurred in the lake.

The storm destabilized the boat they had boarded, causing him to lose grip of the boat before falling into the lake.

“I received a report that the fisherman was with his colleagues, but a storm occurred, forcing him to fall into the water,” Wachianga said.

After falling into the lake, his fellow fishermen made efforts to rescue him. But their efforts failed to bear fruit.

“Odhiambo’s colleagues made efforts to rescue him, but they did not manage. They said his body sank into the lake,” the administrator added.

The fisherman’s body went missing after the incident. Fishermen had begun camping at the lake shore as they were still waiting for his family to start a new initiative of retrieving the body.

Wachianga urged fishermen to use life jackets whenever they go into the lake.

“My advice to fishermen is that they should put on life jackets whenever they are going to undertake any activity in the lake,” Wachianga.