Three fishermen tragically lost their lives in a devastating night-time accident on Lake Victoria when their fishing boat was struck by a ship near Remba Island, Suba North constituency, Homa Bay County. The incident occurred on the night of Wednesday, December 10, while the fishermen, identified as Fredrick Odhiambo, Pascal Oluoch, and Wickliffe Mino from Sindo main beach, were asleep after casting their nets.
Edward Oremo, Chairman of the Homa Bay County Beach Management Unit (BMU), reported that the ship, believed to be traveling from Uganda to Kisumu, rammed into the fishing boat, splitting it into three pieces. “The boat split into three parts after being hit by the ship when the four fishermen were sleeping after casting their nets,” Oremo stated. The impact was so severe that the section of the boat carrying the three deceased fishermen sank almost immediately, preventing them from swimming to safety.
One fisherman miraculously survived the ordeal by clinging to floating debris until rescue arrived. Local officials, including Oremo, suspect that negligence may have contributed to the tragedy, specifically suggesting that the ship involved might not have had its headlights on, which would have alerted the sleeping fishermen to its approach. This raises significant concerns about maritime safety regulations on the busy lake corridor.
Search operations, spearheaded by local divers and supported by BMU officials and county authorities, have been launched to retrieve the bodies of the three fishermen. The incident highlights the inherent dangers faced by fishermen on Lake Victoria, a body of water known for its heavy traffic of both fishing boats and international cargo vessels.
The survivor is currently receiving medical attention as investigations into the full circumstances of the collision continue.
