Three Kenyan fishermen who went missing after their outboard engine boat malfunctioned and were hit by a rogue wave while on a fishing expedition are back home.
Unfortunately, one of the fishermen is believed to have lost his life after drowning.
The three rescued fishermen traumatised by the ordeal were received by the Cabinet Secretary for Mining and Blue Economy, Mr. Salim Mvurya, on Thursday at the Mbaraki Wharf, Mombasa County. After arriving onboard the Kenya Coast Guard Service flagship vessel, Doria, an offshore patrol vessel was dispatched on Tuesday afternoon to pick them up from a Chinese fishing vessel, Lui Quing Yuan U 108, on December 24th, 2023.
Families and relatives of the rescued fishermen who had thronged the Mbaraki Wharf hoping to reunite with their kin were taken away for what authorities said was counselling before they could be reunited with their families.
In total, the rescued fishermen lay stranded at sea for 22 days before the Chinese vessel came to their rescue.
Mvurya, while lauding the Kenya Coast Guard Service personnel involved in the rescue mission, extended his commendation to the owners of the Chinese vessel, who were the first contacts with the estranged fishermen.
“I want to confirm to Kenyans that we have officially received the three fishermen who were rescued after getting lost at sea for over 22 days. Search and rescue is still going on for the missing one,” said Mvurya.
“The operation has been successful because of the cooperation of the well-wishers and arms of the government. This is the way to go, and congratulations to the teams,” he added.
The three fishermen who were lucky to be alive included Hanseey Baraka Kilian, Akida Idd Mohamed, and Fahad Ali Mohamed.
They wore red overalls and plastic shoes and looked pale, emaciated with anxiety, and at times shed tears.
After a brief introduction, the three were taken to the Mombasa Hospital for a further medical checkup and counselling onboard two ambulances belonging to the Kenya Red Cross Society and St. Johns Ambulance.
He added ” I want to take this opportunity to thank our security teams, which sprang into action after we got information on the disappearance of the boat with the four fishermen. The Kenya Navy and Kenya Coast Guard Service have done an exemplary job while conducting the search and rescue. I also wish to thank the Chinese firm and their local agent here for their support and cooperation”.
The four fishermen from Malindi set off for a fishing expedition in November before encountering stormy waters, making them get lost.
A report reached the Kenya Coast Guard Services on November 30, and a search and rescue mission began immediately.
“We received an overdue report of the four fishermen aboard the vessel Jodari; we ensured a seven-day search and rescue mission which faced a lot of challenges,” said KCG DG.
“However, our commitment to resolving the situation persisted, utilising all available marine tools and collaboration with stakeholders. We received news on December 25 that the four had been rescued by a Chinese vessel on December 24,” said Shioso.
The Coast Guard DG said that they reached out to the China Overseas Fisheries Association on December 26 to confirm the rescue of the three before the KCGS Doria flagship vessel successfully went to recover them along with one outboard engine.
This incident, Shioso said, underscores the need for enhanced capabilities in search and rescue maritime law enforcement.
Annually, the Kenya Coast Guard Services handles about 900 such rescue cases, with 62 per cent occurring along the coastal zone and impacting small fishing vessels.
“I emphasise the need to acquire more rescue vessels to bolster search and rescue undertakings and enhance maritime law enforcement.”
“The upcoming full operation capabilities of our KCSG centre in June 2024 will further strengthen our capacity,” Shioso said.
Kenya Coast Guard Director General, Mr. Bruno Shioso, said that they are committed to ensuring that they operate a more modern force and will be looking at enhanced capabilities in search and rescue operations.
He said that on an annual basis, they handle over 900 similar cases involving search and rescue countrywide, with 62 per cent of the cases along the coast.
”We now see the importance of acquiring additional vessels to bolster our operations. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these fishermen, including the one who is still missing,” he added.
Others present at the brief welcome ceremony included Kenya Marine Authority Director General Martin Munga, KMA board of directors’ chairman Mr. Hamisi Mwaguya, and the International Transport Workers Federation’s Mombasa Port Ship Inspector, Betty Makena.
Mrs. Lilian Mapenzi Karisa, mother to Hanseey Baraka Kilian, thanked the Kenyan government, the master of the Chinese fishing vessel, for saving her son from the jaws of death.
She also praised the Malindi Member of Parliament, Ms. Amina Mnyazi, for having taken up the matter with the national government and organised for their repatriation back home from the Chinese vessel.
” Hanseey is my firstborn son. He was staying away from us in Malindi, and I did not know where he was as a fisherman. It is only after the incident that I got to know what he did for a living,” Lilian said.
She said that they had not known peace for a whole month after being informed of what had happened to them.
By Sadik Hassan
