On Sunday, December 1, a man, Vincent Musila who was trapped on a river island at Fourteen Falls on the River Athi was finally been rescued.
Reports from various sources indicated that the man had been stranded at the island for more than two days, could not verify the claims.
Videos made rounds on social media showed the man stranded on the decreasing patch of land as the river’s water volume increased.
Time appeared to be running out for the man as spectators waited for rescue organizations to spring to action. Swimming across the river was not an option as the water current was dangerously fast flowing.
In the end, the police safely rescued the man stuck at falls using a helicopter following a call from Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina.
The helicopter carefully made its way to where the stranded man was and he managed to get and was whisked away to safety.
Following the rescue operation, Wainaina took to social media to thank the Police department for taking action in time.
“Great thanks to our Police and to the Airwing department for heeding my office call and coming to the rescue one Vincent Musila who had remained stuck for 4 days in the middle of Athi river at 14 falls as the water levels continued to rise,” he stated.
Earlier in the day, Kenya Red Cross issued an update on the ongoing rescue operations following increased rainfall in many parts of the country.
On Sunday, December 1, eight people, three in Yatta, Machakos and five in Kibwezi, Makueni, all living along Athi River were been marooned following a heavy downpour.
The organization further revealed that a 35-year old man who had been reported to have been swept away while attempting to cross Kaiti River in Makueni had been rescued by Kenya Red Cross first responders and taken to a nearby health facility.
Here is the video:
