Kenyan Woman Drowns in Swimming Pool While Livestreaming on Facebook | "I Cried Watching My Daughter"

In an unimaginable tragedy, a woman lost her life by drowning in a swimming pool while live-streaming on Facebook. According to CNN, the young woman, a 23-year-old health worker named Hellen Wendy Nyabuto, was seen in the video struggling to stay afloat after she dived into the deep end of the pool. Her body was found hours later at the bottom of the pool. Her father, 56-year-old Nyabuto John Kiyondi, a smallholder farmer in Kisii, southwest Kenya, told the outlet, "I watched that video. I cried. It is terrible. She communicated with me two days before she perished. She sounded very fine and I was very happy. She promised me a phone. I didn't feel anything abnormal."

According to 7 News, Hellen Wendy was smiling at the camera and talking to the phone screen just moments before she passed away. Ten minutes after she began recording, she was seen struggling in the water, gasping for air while screaming and kicking. Three hours later, two men discovered her lifeless body while her electronic device was still recording. Her loss is not only an incredibly emotional blow to her family but she was also the primary breadwinner in the family. "She was assisting me financially to educate her siblings, particularly in terms of school fees and other expenses. I'm stuck now and back to square one. I'm wondering how her younger siblings will continue schooling," Kiyondi told CNN. He also hoped that her body would be sent back to her native land. "According to our tradition, one is supposed to be buried where he or she was born. I'll not feel comfortable, psychologically, if my daughter is buried away from Kenya," he said.

Her younger brother Enock Nyabuto set up a GoFundMe page describing her as someone who was "full of life." "With a warm smile and a charming heart. Everyone who met Wendy had their spirits lifted. She was passionate about her work and she touched many hearts. On Thursday 18th August, Hellen was enjoying an afternoon swim when she tragically drowned. Hellen lived in Toronto and worked a temporary job in Collingwood, but her family lives in Kisii. We are soliciting your generous donation to repatriate her body to Nairobi, Kenya as per the wishes of our family. The cost to repatriate the body is approximately $50,000. Your generous contributions towards this cause are highly appreciated as we go through this extreme circumstance of losing a loved one," he said. The page has so far raised over $49,295 CAD.

References:

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/23/africa/kenyan-woman-drowns-swimming-livestream-intl/index.html

https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/woman-records-herself-drowning-on-facebook-livestream--c-7990009

https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-and-burial-arrangements-for-hellen-wendy

Cover Image Source: GoFundMe