A twenty-year-old woman, Dorcas Tiren, on Saturday, February 15, drowned in Perkera River after she dived in a bid to save an eight-year-old girl.
Tiren, whose body is yet to be retrieved, dived into the river and saved Caren Kimosop, who was almost drowning but she was unable to head back to the shore herself after the raging waters overpowered her.
According to K24 Digital, the fatal incident occurred at a time Tiren was visiting her uncle in Marigat.
She had decided to tour Perkera River and Kimospo, a daughter to the uncle's neighbour, offered to accompany her to the river.
While at the river, the eight-year-old went for a swim but the raging waters almost overpowered her, prompting Tiren to dive in to rescue her.
Tiren managed to save the eight-year-old girl but was overpowered by the tides as she attempted to get out of the river.
Since then, the body is yet to be retrieved.
Family members have since pitched camp at the river banks, hopeful that the body of their loved one will be retrieved.
On the other hand, divers complained that they were unable to go further downstream due to a lack of diving gear and the raging waters.
“Even as we offer to help in recovering Tiren’s body, we are aware that the river’s terrain is very hostile, and we can’t risk our lives by diving into the watercourse without wearing appropriate protective gear. Unfortunately, we do not have the gears,” Waziri Kemboi, a diver in Baringo told the publication.
A resident in the area, James Komen, stated that the incident was not the first in the area, claiming that at least 10 people had died in recent times.
“Both levels of government should equip divers with gears so that the rescuers can swiftly swing into action should a resident or visitor drown in the river,” he stated.
