A Kenyan is among the eight survivors of the Comoros boat tragedy that left seven people dead after they got lost in the Indian Ocean for 22 days.
Hamza Hemed 22 from Kayole in Nairobi is currently recuperating at the Malindi subcounty hospital.
He said he went to Comoros to visit a relative and 22 days ago joined others in a boat for a three-hour journey to another Island before their boat developed complications and their captain later lost direction.
Hemed said he boarded a boat with 14 others including three women for a 3-hour journey from Nzwani (Anjouan)to Moroni the capital city of Comoros.
He said when they reached the deep sea their boat developed mechanical problems as the engine was damaged and their vessel started moving by the wind.
“The wind was too strong and the large waves hit the boat, that’s when our problems started as we got lost,” he said.
Hemed said at the time the bat was hit their captain was trying to check the damage of the engine and lost the direction.
That was the beginning of their ‘deadly’ experience that saw seven others die as there was nothing they could do.
He said they did not carry food but a few had carried a bottle of water and juice.
Hemed said he had carried nothing and did not know anyone in the boat.
All the occupants did not have mobile phones which made it difficult to make a call.
“After losing the direction the ship started carrying itself, we lost the way and continued moving without the support of the engine or the captain,” he said.
Hemed said they did not know where they were moving to or where they were.
He said on day 15, people started dying because of hunger and cold due to the strong winds and excess heat.
The women died first.
Hemed said those who died drunk salty water from the Ocean to try to quench their thirst despite it being dangerous.
“We did not carry food, for us to survive was by God’s mercy. We were 15 of us but many died because of coldness, much wind and during the day there was much sunshine,” he said.
Hemed said whenever one died, they had no option but to throw him or her in the Ocean and continue staying in the boat.
“I do not know why am still alive because it’s a long-distance that we travelled in the Ocean, am still in bad condition and am not taking food because my stomach is not in good condition,” he said.
Hemed said doctors told him to take water, tea, and other things which are soft as hard food was not good for him.
“They told me that as the days pass, they will increase the capacity of the food I have to take,” he said.
While in the Ocean he said one had to be strong and not be tempted to drink the Ocean water as he would die.
For him, when they were rescued, he thought that would be his last day because he was too cold and water was getting into the boat.
“I thank god for keeping me, I didn’t know that I was in Kenya I came here in the boat, people helped me and took me to the hospital,” he said.
Hemed said that was an act of love and thanked those who rescued them and the authorities who are still supporting them.
The seven Comorans were in the Masoud private wing of the same hospital.
Malindi subcounty hospital medical superintendent Job Gayo said even those who were critical were getting better adding that others had started walking by themselves.
Earlier in an interview, he said all the victims were on a special diet and treated like surgical patients because of how they survived for three weeks drinking only salty water.
Gayo said they were treating their kidneys and counselling them as some were psychologically tortured because of the experience.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
