Tana River, KENYA: A man who was attacked by a hippopotamus when crossing River Tana on Thursday morning is still missing.
Enock Bonaya a father of secondary school children is suspected to have plunged into the river after a hippo knocked down the canoe they were crossing the river with leaving it capsized.
Security officers together with residents in Maziwa village, Tana Delta have camped in the area for the past two days in a bid to look for him.
Hippo Attacks Boat In Tana River (Kenya).
Speaking to Baraka FM through a phone call Mr. Salim Awadh who is a resident and relative to the victim said the man was attacked when he was going to his farm with other two people using a canoe commonly known as mwau in the local pokomo language.
Mr. Salim told Baraka FM that Enock Bonaya who he approximated to be 45 years of age and father of secondary school children was the one who rowed the boat while crossing the river before the attack happened.
His two colleagues narrowly escaped death before reporting TO other villagers as their colleague had disappeared in water when the hippo struck.
According to Mr. Salim, after the attack, the family went to report to police and Kenya wildlife service offices in the delta and a search was started the same day the victim got lost.
60-year-old man killed by Hippo in Magarini
Tana Delta OCPD Mr. Ali Riziki confirmed the incident saying efforts to find the man were on progress with officers using a motorboat to search for the victim.
“We already sent our officers so that to take part in the search for the man. The man was attacked while crossing river Tana but we are in the process of finding him,” the OCPD said.
