Two people drowned on Wednesday after their boat capsized in the Indian Ocean at Watamu Beach, Kilifi County.

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According to the Watamu Beach Management Unit (BMU) Chairman Osman Mwambire, the two, Tanzanian nationals, drowned after their boat was hit by the ocean waves. 

They were fishing when this incident happened. The two, Nasoro Ahmed Said and Said Hamad Said, were in the company of two other fishermen. 

Luckily, their friends managed to get out. 

“The four were among eight Tanzanian fishermen who came here on September 9, 2019, but unfortunately the two have drowned. Their boat was hit by heavy waves as they ventured into the sea to cast their nets,” Mwambire said according to KNA

Abeid Seif and Said Hamisi Said, the two survivors, confirmed that their boats were hit with heavy ocean waves. They had gone about 500 meters from the shore when the unfortunate incident happened.

“We were hit by four simultaneous waves that threw us out of the boat. We raised an alarm and started swimming to safety, but our two colleagues were not so lucky. They drowned before rescuers reached us,” said Seif.

The body of one of the victims was recovered while the other one is yet to be found. The recovered body was buried on Wednesday, in accordance with Islamic rituals. 

A search operation has been launched for the other body. 

According to the BMU management, lack of rescue equipment slowed down their immediate response after the four called for help.