Rescue mission for man who drowned enters day five

For the family of Stephen Wanderi, it has been five days of tears and agony.

Wanderi drowned at Gwa Kungu dam in Ndaragwa during a swimming expedition that turned out to be a tragedy.

Police are yet to retrieve his body since the Thursday incident.

A local rescue team from the National Youth Service, Nyandarua County government staff, police and local residents have been combing the dam since then without bearing any fruits.

Wanderi, 35, is reported to have drowned on Thursday evening and the clothes he was wearing found by the banks of the dam.

People who saw him last claim they had spotted him near the dam alone only for reports of his missing to emerge.

According to some of the local residents, the father of two was seen swimming alone moments before his disappeared prompting his search at the dam.

"I was grazing nearby and saw him remove his clothes and jump into the river. Moments later, I did not see him again and that is when I alerted my neighbors," said Joseph Katana.

Nyandarua Sub County Police Commander Timon Odingo confirmed that the body was yet to be retrieved. “We are still continuing with the search,” he said.

The police boss said that they were contemplating draining the dam if his boy will not have been retrieved by the end of the day.

“This will be our next option, but we hope that we will be able to retrieve it by the end of today,” he said.

Wangenye on his part said an emergency team from the county had been called in to reinforce the mission, adding that all efforts and resources would be deployed to facilitate a smooth running of the search.