This archive report was first published on 10 October 2019.
October 10, 2019, marked the 12th day of retrieval efforts at the Likoni Ferry channel, where a car carrying a woman and her daughter slipped into the Indian Ocean. Despite being located, the car remains unretrieved.
Government Spokesman Rtd Colonel Cyrus Oguna acknowledged the failure, citing strong undercurrents at the seabed as a major obstacle. He also emphasized the need to lift the vehicle with the bodies intact to avoid causing further damage.
"We had issued a 100 per cent possibility of retrieving the vehicle, but we didn't manage because of two reasons: strong undercurrents at the seabed and our desire to get the bodies inside while intact," Oguna explained.
He appealed for patience, stating that the operation was delicate and that any mistake could result in the bodies spilling from the car, adding to the family's misery.
When asked if the number of bodies in the car had been confirmed, Oguna replied, "There are only bodies in the car, they cannot be four." The government's efforts have been hindered by the presence of hundreds of commuters using the Likoni ferry channel and ships docking at the port of Mombasa.
Disagreements have arisen between Kenya Ports Authority divers and the South African divers hired by the family, with some speculating that a supremacy battle is behind the delay. The South African divers left the operation, citing frustration with the government's decision to give credit to the Kenya Navy divers.
