Tuesday October 29, 2024
Local residents peer into a deep, narrow well similar to the one where a father and son tragically lost their lives in Wajir County, Kenya, while attempting to rescue a fallen goat. CREDIT/ Kenya Wildlife
Mogadishu (HOL) — A father and son died tragically in Kenya’s Wajir County after trying to rescue their family’s goat from a narrow, oxygen-deprived well—a grim reminder of the hazards posed by the region’s open water sources and prompting urgent calls for safety improvements.
The tragedy unfolded as a family goat fell into a deep, narrow well. The young son climbed down to rescue the animal but quickly lost consciousness in the oxygen-deprived space. The father, upon seeing his son struggle, entered the well to help, only to succumb to the same lack of air. Neither managed to escape, confirmed Abbas Alasow Mohamed, a local government representative who spoke with the BBC Somali Service.
Local divers, skilled in navigating confined spaces, spent nearly three hours retrieving the bodies. The well, described as dangerously hot and oxygen-poor, posed a suffocation risk within minutes due to its limited ventilation and brackish, stagnant water. These conditions make open wells in the region especially hazardous for anyone who falls in.
The Ogoraale community has mourned the deaths, recognizing the incident as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by uncovered wells. Mohamed noted that while human fatalities in these wells are rare, incidents involving livestock are common; just a week earlier, 20 goats fell into a similar well nearby, underscoring the frequent risks these water sources pose.
“This tragedy could have been avoided,” Mohamed said. “If clean, motorized wells were available, people wouldn’t rely on the substandard, salty water from these dangerous sources. We urge humanitarian groups to assist us in providing safer, drinkable water so we can prevent similar accidents in the future.”