This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
On December 8, eight Kenyan fishermen embarked on a routine fishing expedition from Ziwayu beach on the north coast. However, their boat, an Alhafidh Fibre 15HP vessel, was taken to the deep waters and capsized by strong winds, leaving them stranded in the Indian Ocean.
According to Malindi Sub County Police Commander Vitalis Otieno, the fishermen were reported missing on December 8, but their disappearance was not immediately reported to the authorities. It was only after friends and relatives raised the alarm that a search and rescue operation was launched.
On Christmas Day, the eight fishermen were spotted and rescued by marine police on patrol. They were rushed to Malindi Sub County Hospital for a medical check-up and have since been discharged.
Speaking to Xinhua, Otieno revealed that the fishermen survived on raw fish and other sea creatures during their ordeal. One of the survivors is a close relative of the wife of Captain Shallo, the founder of the Coast Sea Survival team, a citizen-run rescue organization that received the missing alert on December 8.
It is a miracle that the eight fishermen survived for 18 days in the ocean waters, where drowning is a common occurrence. The incident serves as a reminder of the risks faced by fishermen in Kenya's coast, where the economy relies predominantly on fishing and tourism.
