Chief’s tweet helps save woman and her baby from jaws of death
A person poses with a cell phone in front of a computer screen to check Barack Obama's tweet on November 7, 2012 in Paris after his re-election as US president. A simple tweet by a chief saved a mother and her nine-month-old child from a 100-feet hole at Kapkures in Nakuru Town.
What you need to know:
- The two might have died had it not been for a 10-year-old boy who heard the cries of a child as herded livestock nearby and informed the village elder.
Nakuru
A simple tweet by a chief saved a mother and her nine-month-old child from a 100-feet hole at Kapkures in Nakuru Town.
Mother and child spent 18 hours in the hole before they were rescued by residents and police, courtesy of a tweet by chief Rashid Abdallah.
Mr Abdallah on Sunday received a call from an elder, Mr Arap Kemei, that two people had fallen into a hole in Lalwet Village.
At 10.40am, Mr Abdallah tweeted: “Kuna mama ameanguka kwa shimo Lalwet pamoja na mtoto wake, tafadhali majirani tusaidiane. Shimo zaidi ya futi 100 hapo kwa Jonah! (There is a woman and her child who have fallen into a 100-feet hole near Jonah’s place...please let us help)”.
In less than 10 minutes, residents armed with ropes flocked to the scene and started the rescue mission.
The operation was led by Mr Abdallah and the police.
At 11am the chief tweeted: “Tumetoa mtoto tayari ako na miezi tisa, mama ako ndani kama futi 100 (We have rescued a nine-month-old baby but her mother is still trapped in the in the hole)”.
At 11.37am, the rescue mission was concluded and the administrator tweeted again: “Asanteni tumewatoa. Mama ameumia miguu kidogo lakini ako salama. Asante... fire brigade wamefika... (Thank you, we have rescued them. The mother sustained minor injuries on legs, she is out of danger. Thank you ... fire brigade has arrived...)”
Mr Abdallah, who joined Twitter and started tweeting residents of Kapkures six months ago, said Ms Gladys Kibet, 35, fell into the hole, a fault line in the area, as she walked to a chama meeting.
The area is situated along fault lines that stretch from Menengai Crater to Lake Nakuru National Park.
The woman and her baby fell into the hole at 4pm on Saturday.
They spent the night in the pit.
The two might have died had it not been for a 10-year-old boy who heard the cries of a child as herded livestock nearby and informed the village elder.
Mother and child were treated at Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital.
Chief Abdallah said since he started tweeting the residents, the level of crime had gone down considerably.
He said residents were now more united in reporting thuggery and other crimes.
