3 children drown in Nyahururu Golf Club dam

Three children drowned in a dam inside Nyahururu Golf Club on Sunday.

The dam is in the neighbourhood of Maina slums in Laikipia County.

The three boys aged between nine and 12 years, among them twins, had reportedly gone to the golf club to have a glimpse at a helicopter that had ferried Deputy President Dr William Ruto to a funds drive at Ndaragwa township in the neighbouring Nyandarua County.

The chopper had landed at the golf club before Mr Ruto proceeded on road to Ndaragwa township, several kilometres from Nyahururu town.

SEE CHOPPER

“We suspect that the twins decided to swim at the dam after failing to see the chopper. The third boy drowned as he was trying to rescue the two,” said Ms Susan Wambui, a neighbour to the victims’ mother.

Ms Wambui said that the mother of the twins had told her that she had allowed the boys to go and see the chopper before they were joined by a friend.

The Nation could not independently confirm Ms Wambui's claims.

But confirming the incident, Igwamiti Assistant County Commissioner Wambui Irungu said the two boys dived into the dam to swim but were overpowered by the water before their friend, who was also overpowered, decided to rescue them.

TRESPASSING

"They died after being overwhelmed by the water. When we arrived at the scene, villagers had already retrieved the twins’ bodies from the dam," she said.

She said that they had directed the Nyahururu Golf Club management to fence the dam to avoid such incidents in future.

“We are also advising parents to warn their children against trespassing into private. The dam is located in a private facility,” she said.

Laikipia County government fire engine was called to pump out water from the dam to retrieve the missing body.

The two bodies were taken to the Nyahururu County Referral Hospital mortuary.