Brave boy risked his life to save that of a friend

By MAUREEN ODIWUOR

The 12-year-old swam to rescue two friends as he fought the strong currents sweeping through River Yala.

Brian Oduor was with nine other friends – ages 7-13 – who were crossing the river in Siaya County as they left a grazing field. There was also an adult, Nicholas Oduor, 34, whose body was found over 24 hours later.

“Everyone struggled to save their lives. I started swimming but turned and saw my friend Ochieng’ holding onto a rope on the boat, I swam back and encouraged him to hold a little longer,” he recalls.

It had started raining heavily on Monday at 5pm, forcing them to scramble aboard the boat to cross the river before the waters swept them away.

“Tulikimbilia boat, kufika katikati ya maji tukagundua tume overload (we hurried to board the boat and only noticed we were too many when we had reached the middle of the river),” recalls Oduor.

There were four other survivors. Among them is Felix Ochieng’, a pupil of Bar Kanyango Primary School, who was miraculously saved by Oduor.

Unfortunately, Oduor’s attempts to save Edwin Otieno, 15,  did not succeed as he slipped into the fast moving water. “It is very sad. I made two attempts to save Otieno. I watched as the water swept him away,” he says with regret.

The two survivors then rushed to the village to break the bad news.

“We always go grazing on the other side, but I had never imagined that our boat would one day capsize; it’s a miracle I am alive,” says Ochieng’.

Oduor said they usually left home at 11am and returned late in the evening with the cows. But on the fateful day, it started raining and they beat the animals to force them cross.

They boarded the boat that was to take them across the river. Unfortunately, the craft started swaying and finally overturned, spilling its occupants into the deep waters.

Patrick Ayunga, 15, also struggled and swam to safety.

“All I thought of was to run home as fast as I could because the fact that I had cheated death proved traumatising,” he says.

Irene Ndege, 30, Otieno’s mother, was distraught at the loss of her first born child.

“I left my son with our herdsboy, Stephen Seda. I expected Otieno to remain in the homestead, but he opted to follow him,” she says, as her eyes well with tears. Ndege has now been left with two children – a boy aged four and a girl, one-and-half.

She says that was the first time her son followed the herdsboy to the grazing field because she was not around to stop him.

Seda says he left the deceased standing at a nearby path and went to get the cattle but when he returned, the boy was missing.

“I just saw the boat leave only to find out later that half of those who boarded it did not make it. He had followed the rest,” he says.

An official from Kenya Maritime Authority who declined to be named said the boat was not licensed to operate in the waters and warned that stiff penalties will be taken against its owner.

North Yimbo Location Chief Wycliffe Rabut said three bodies had so far been retrieved.