Fishermen together with UPDF marines on Sunday morning mounted a search for two fishermen who drowned in water at the railway bridge connecting Jinja and Buikwe district.

The duo were fishermen working at the Nile landing site and drown when they had gone to the waters to lay their fishnets in River Nile. Emmanuel Mange, the landing site chairperson explained that there were three people in the boat, two died on spot but one
survived.

Mange revealed that when the trio reached the railway bridge the engine of the boat got mechanical faults and failed to start.

Ukunzi Oukunci the survivor and the captain of the boat in fear revealed that they were going to lay their fishnets and the engine of the boat stopped working and they were blown by the high moving water waves.

Fishermen removing Ismail Ople's body from River Nile

He added that when they reached near the new Jinja bridge the wave overturned the boat and thus capsizing and his workmates started drowning because the water had a lot of force and they failed to swim.

 He added that he tried to save his colleagues but due to the high pressure of the water even the bowing stick was broken. “When the boat overturned, we fell into the water and  I used the bowing stick to save my life, but I also tried to give it to them unfortunately the stick was broken by the waves and I also had to run for my life and I
left them in the water” Ukunzi said

Mange revealed that by the time they noticed the incident it was late since the duo had died. He explained that the deceased had life jackets in the boat but they had not worn them.

Mange added that  last week they also lost a fellow fisherman who went to the river to fish at night while drunk. He explained that they always take alcohol but they don’t allow anyone who is drunk to move into the water.

The fishermen applauded the UPDF marines who are guarding all the bridges and the power dams saying that they are always available to rescue them.

Peter Opado, a fisherman at the same landing site, revealed that the cause of death was the use of a fault engine and the deceased failed to wear life jackets. He added that the area where the two drowned is a black spot and no one has ever survived. He urged all the fishermen to always use powerful engines and boats and also wear life jackets
whenever they are in the river.

The two bodies were recovered and they were identified as Ismail Opel 36 years from Pakwach and Muzamir Mukiri 47 years from Yumbe. Mukiri was taken to Jinja Muslim cemetery for burial while Opel’s body has been taken back to his ancestral home in Pakwach.

Family members and workmates of Ismail Opel (deceased) carrying his body from the water

0n 30th August last year the same incident happened in the same area where a boat belonging to Hassan Alwi an investor was smashed in the turbines of Kiira power dam and three people died on spot whereas three survived narrowly. Hassan Alwi, his son Jafar Alwi (12) and a one Patrick Okidi survived the incident but Shakira Super believed to be Alwi’s girlfriend, Amirror Alwi the daughter to Hassan Alwi and a one Patrick Odoi  all lost their lives during that incident.