All 4 bodies of Tharaka University students who drowned retrieved » Capital News

NAIROBI,Kenya Nov 7- All the bodies of four students who drowned in River Kathita in Tharaka Nithi have been retrieved, bringing to an end the search mission that started on Saturday.

Three of the bodies were retrieved on Saturday while the fourth was brought out on Sunday morning, police said of the drowning incident that occurred during a swimming expedition photo session by the students from Tharaka University College.

“The three bodies were retrieved by 6pm yesterday (Saturday) with the last body being retrieved by 9am today (Sunday) morning. The rescue operation has since been called off,” said Brunoh Shioso, National Police Spokesman.

Local administrators and police said the students had gone to swim when the tragedy occurred.

“The first student had difficulty coming out the water as they swam, and that is when two others tried to rescue him but they too drowned,” a witness said, “The fourth one also drowned when he jumped in to try rescue the three.”

And when others saw what had happened, two others who were swimming with them joined in the rescue mission but they experienced difficulties but locals managed to save them.

“It is unfortunate that the four did not make it,” the witness said.

Bodies of the four students were taken to Marimanti hospital mortuary, awaiting an autopsy and formal identification.

A student is also reported to have died while swimming in the same river in 2002.

Cases of students or people drowning during swimming expeditions, particularly in rural Kenya are common.