Search for 2 bodies in L. Nakuru copter crash scaled down

Divers at the location where the wreckage of the crashed helicopter was found in Lake Nakuru on November 18, 2017. Hopes of retrieving the two remaining bodies of victims who died in the crash on October 21 are fast fading as the teams involved in the recovery operations seem to have abandoned the mission. PHOTO | AYUB MUIYURO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • According to Mr Kertich, all the search teams including the Kenya Navy and the Sonko Rescue Team have left the mission.
  • He noted that the move was necessitated by the need to scale down the huge expenses incurred in the operation.
  • Families and relatives are still hoping to find the bodies of Mr John Mapozi and Sam Gitau.

Hopes of retrieving the two bodies of victims who died in a helicopter crash in Lake Nakuru on October 21 are fast fading as the teams involved in the recovery operations seem to have abandoned the mission.

Nation.co.ke established Saturday that there is little or no activity going on at the crash site as no one, apart from a few rangers from Kenya Wildlife Service, could be seen at the shores of the lake.

The National Disaster Operations Desk manager, Mr Johnathan Kertich, confirmed that the team had closed its camp after the key players involved in the operations left after the recovery of three bodies and the wreckage of the helicopter.

According to Mr Kertich, all the search teams including the Kenya Navy and the Sonko Rescue Team have left the mission.

He noted that the move was necessitated by the need to scale down the huge expenses incurred in the operation.

“We closed the camp on Monday after retrieving the bodies of the three victims and the helicopter wreckage. However, KWS rangers are still patrolling the shores of the lake to see if the bodies could have been swept offshore,” said the officer.

HOPES

Families and relatives are still hoping to find the bodies of Mr John Mapozi and Sam Gitau who were among the five occupants who perished after the helicopter plunged into Lake Nakuru.

Three other bodies of Mr Anthony Kipyegon, the Pilot, Mr Apollo Malowa, and Ms Veronica Muthoni, were retrieved later and buried.

The recovery operation was being handled by a multi-agency team involving divers from the Kenya Navy, experts from KWS, the Ministry of Fisheries and private divers.

After the recovery of the chopper on November 19, Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Wanyama Musiambo assured the residents that the search would not stop until all the bodies and the remaining chopper parts are recovered.

However, the team has not been able recover anything else since they found the chopper’s tail boom, the spare clothes and documents belonging to Mr Malowa on November 23.