This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
On Sunday evening, a saloon car slipped off a ferry and plunged into the Indian Ocean at Likoni channel in Mombasa, leaving a woman and her four-year-old daughter feared dead and buried in the water.
Rescue efforts were initially hindered by heavy winds and fast-flowing currents at the seabed, but a multi-agency team, including divers from the Kenya Navy, has now resumed the recovery operation.
The team's initial task is to geo-locate the exact location of the vehicle using a robot and secure it. Ferry services were temporarily suspended to ensure the safety of the divers.
Government Spokesman Col (rtd) Cyrus Oguna said the government acted promptly after the accident, but the challenging sea conditions and heavy traffic in the area complicated the recovery mission.
"The difficult sea conditions and usual heavy traffic of both passengers and cargo ships along the channel has complicated the recovery mission," Col Oguna said during a press briefing at the scene of the incident.
He added that the government mobilized a multi-agency rescue team, comprising experts from the Kenya Navy, Kenya Ferry Service, Kenya Ports Authority, the Kenya Coast Guard Service, and Kenya Maritime Authority.
As of Wednesday morning, hundreds of residents had gathered to witness the ongoing rescue mission.
