CRIME SCENE
A family vacation for an Australian family ended in disarray when their four-year-old boy drowned at the Nyali Reef Hotel’s swimming pool in Mombasa.
The family originally from South Sudan was on vacation in Mombasa when the incident happened on Christmas Eve.
Police said the boy was discovered drowned at midday as the other revellers enjoyed their time at the facility.
Police said they are investigating the tragedy.
A family spokesman said they are devastated.
He added they flew the body to Nairobi on Sunday pending a decision on where he will be buried.
Police said they are investigating the matter and they have recorded statements from staff who were present.
They said the family had complained of negligence on the side of the hotel.
The hotel general manager Jarso Halake said they are handling the matter with the police and that efforts to address it are ongoing.
“We have talked and solved the matter with all concerned parties,” he said without elaborating further.
Such incidents are common at swimming pools with officials blaming the lack of adequate attendants to monitor activities there.
Officials said hotels had been advised to increase surveillance, especially at the pools, to address such tragedies given the number of visitors expected in the festive season.
Most facilities were fully booked.
Meanwhile, a seven-year-old boy died after a snake bite in Hindi, Lamu County.
The incident happened on December 26 before the boy succumbed two days later, police and the family said.
The boy was at their home playing with other children when he stepped on the snake.
The snake bite him in the leg before he was rushed to Mokowe Health Centre where he died.
Snake bites are common in the area amid campaigns to address
the problem.