The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has allayed fears over the safety of two fishermen who plunged into the hippo-infested Lake Victoria after netting a box containing six mortar bombs on Wednesday.
In a statement on Thursday afternoon, DCI confirmed that the two were safe and had reunited with their colleagues at Litare beach in Rusinga Island.
The lucky men narrated to detectives how they hastily swam to safety to the nearby Rabuor Island oblivious of the life-threatening danger that they had exposed themselves to.
“They attributed their being alive to their enviable swimming attributes that came in handy in their hour of need,” said DCI.
The two fishermen who plunged into the hippo infested lake Victoria yesterday after stumbling on six 60mm mortar bombs while fishing, have resurfaced. They have this afternoon rejoined their counterparts at Litare beach in Rusinga Island. pic.twitter.com/N3OTeNVIc8
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) August 5, 2021
The two were among a group of five fishermen who panicked upon stumbling on the six mortar bombs.
They dived into the water fearing that the bombs would go off.
“The fishermen had cast their nets in the still waters of the world’s second-largest freshwater lake, in the hope of a handsome catch,” DCI said on Wednesday.
Read: Fear as Lake Victoria Fishermen Net Six Mortar Bombs
“Shock of their lives came when they discovered that they had caught a heavy metallic box, instead of the anticipated Mbuta delicacy. In a bid to discover what was contained in the box, they hastily broke into it only to find six, 60mm mortar bombs, staring at them!”
The remaining fishermen steered the boat ashore and reported the incident to the beach management chairman, Isaiah Ouko, who contacted DCI detectives based at Mbita.
The bombs are in the custody of Bomb Disposal and Hazardous Materials detectives and will be destroyed after conclusion of investigations.
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