Tragedy engulfed Jomo Kenyatta public beach, famously known as Pirates Beach in Mombasa County, on Christmas Day after a family of Asian origin lost two relatives.
Confirming the incident, Mombasa County Police Commander Stephen Matu, on Sunday, December 25, stated that the two were among 15 family members who travelled to Coast for the Christmas festival.
The family of Asian origin then hired a boat to take a short trip in the Indian Ocean.
However, during the sea trip, the boat capsized with all the family members on board.
"We had an Asian family from Nairobi and were riding a boat just like other people at the beach and then the boat capsized," Mombasa Red Cross chairperson Mahmoud Noor stated.
"Eleven were rescued. Two adult females were rushed to the hospital together with two infants. Unfortunately one of the ladies passed on. later on, the body of a male member of the same family was discovered," he added.
One member of the same family was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for further medical attention.
However, the cause of the accidents was not immediately established at the time of publishing this article.
To curb the recurrence of similar cases, Mombasa County Police Commander Stephen Matu promised to deploy more officers to various facilities.
At the same time, he urged holidaymakers to exercise caution while at the Beach.
"I call on Kenyans and visitors visiting Mombasa to exercise caution, especially during this time," Matu stated.
He added, "let's stay away from activities that can easily lead to the loss of life."
To further protect holidaymakers, the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) intensified an awareness campaign to sensitise the public on water safety precautions.
"Professional lifeguards have taken up watch of the beaches with KMA ensuring visitors stick to the dos and don’ts at the recreational area. We are striving to have zero percent incidents during the festive season," KMA chairman Hamisi Mwaguya reiterated.
