Girlfriend watches helplessly as boyfriend drowns in Lake Chala

When Agnes Gombe's fiancé asked her for a romantic date at the shores of Lake Chala in Taita Taveta, she eagerly accepted the offer.

But the outing turned into a nightmare two hours later as she helplessly watched her soon-to-be husband Marunde Ngondi being washed away by strong currents.

The afternoon picnic, took a tragic turn after the 24-year-old man slipped into the water and drowned.

Narrating the incident, Ms Gombe said she watched helplessly as her boyfriend drowned in the lake.

HELPLESS

"I tried to reach for his hand but I fell into the water. l made it back to the shore and called out for help," she said.

Efforts by locals to retrieve the body on Sunday failed as the operation was called off at night.

His body was retrieved on Monday and taken to the Taveta Sub-County Hospital's mortuary.

Emotions ran high during the rescue mission as members of the public, relatives and friends tried to come to terms with the tragedy.

According to Chala residents, at least three people drown every month in this lake raising safety concerns for fishermen and tourists who flock the area everyday.

Last week, a man perished in the lake during a swimming expedition with his friends.

Residents have called on officials to educate the pubic on the dangers of the lake.

"They should also erect warning signs to caution those who come here to swim or fish," said Ms Agnes Samanya, a resident.

The lake, which lies on the border of Kenya and Tanzania, is popular with tourists and thrill seekers who dive into the waters by jumping from the edge into the deep waters.