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10 /diaspora-news.php DIASPORA NEWS

Family Confirms Death of a Canada-Based Kenyan Woman Who Drowned While Live Streaming on Facebook

By John Wanjohi Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 11:11am 10524 views 12 comments
Family Confirms Death of a Canada-Based Kenyan Woman Who Drowned While Live Streaming on Facebook

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The family of a Canada-based Kenyan woman who drowned in a swimming pool while streaming live on Facebook on Thursday has confirmed her death.

24-year-old Hellen Wendy Nyabuto, a resident of Toronto, drowned about 10 minutes into the live video but her phone continued to record for over three hours.

Her father John Nyabuto told The Standard on Saturday that her first-born daughter, who relocated to Canada in December 2019 after securing a 10-year study visa, died during the incident.

“She was 24 years old. She sat her KCSE some six years ago at the Itierio Girls’ Secondary School in Suneka, Kisii County,” Nyabuto said at his Mesesi Village home in Bomachoge Chache, Kisii County.

“After completing her secondary education, she tried her hand at various small-scale businesses. Later, she participated in the green card lottery programme. That’s when she secured her visa to Canada.”

“Upon her relocation to Canada, I was hopeful that she’ll get a job and help me educate her younger siblings. During our conversations, she’d tell me that life in Canada was good. Her nursing studies paid off as she got a part-time job. She used part of her income to pay her tuition fee and also sent some to us,” added Nyabuto.

Nyabuto, a retired teacher, says he received a text message from Hellen’s friend in Canada informing him that his daughter had drowned in a swimming pool.

“Later that evening, Canadian officials called to inform me that Hellen was receiving treatment in hospital. The caller [from Canadian authorities] did not, at that moment, disclose what led to Hellen’s hospitalisation. As I was scrolling through my phone, I saw on social media a video clip of my daughter swimming before drowning, and everything went silent thereafter,” he said.

“I received another call from Hellen’s friend informing me that my daughter had been pronounced dead on arrival to hospital. The private swimming pool where she drowned wasn’t far away from where she worked.”

Nyabuto dismissed claims that his daughter had a premonition of her death.

“I hear some people claiming she had said on WhatsApp that she’d soon die in Canada. As her father, she never shared with me any information that suggested she was in distress or any form of trouble,” said Nyabuto.

He appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and well-wishers to intervene and help the family bring her body to Kenya for burial. Hellen’s body has been preserved at a Toronto hospital morgue.

“I’ve been crying helplessly ever since I received the news. I’m now wondering how her body will be repatriated to Kenya. I have lost a child whom I loved dearly. I don’t know how much it would cost me to have her body flown to Kenya,” he said. 

 

Comments

Juju

Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 11:46am

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Pole sana!!! Heartbreaking

Hajji

Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 12:29pm

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Only God knows and Him is good Comfort.

Rest in eternal peace young girl

Pat Ndung'u

Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 01:48pm

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So sorry to hear of this family's loss.

I'm wondering if any of Helen's friends or relatives read Mwakilishi. If so, give us the Father's contact and someone please set up a GO FUND ME account so we can help this family.

Mugikuyu wa ma

Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 02:38pm

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so sad indeed. May Almighty God give family strength, peace and comfort that surpass all human understanding.

MjuAji

Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 04:05pm

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So sad. Please don't make fun about the death of this girl, like I read elsewhere. Could have been my child, your child. When death comes, doesn't matter what you were doing, where you were, how you were, or whom you are. Death will come to us all. You think it comes to those others? For some of us who have experienced the brutal hand of death, no once, not twice, not thrice....

AjeTom

Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 04:53pm

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Very sad and condolences to her family and friends.

Kale

Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 06:25pm

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It’s so sad. May the Lord comfort her family. Rest In Peace young lady. The death was very untimely!

Kenya.

Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 06:38pm

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RIP. This thing of putting everything on social media is dangerous. Somebody fell on the cliff trying to take a selfie.

Kora Kanini

Sat, 08/20/2022 @ 06:50pm

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RIP, sister, RIP.
Our heart felt condolences.

Nyamu

Sun, 08/21/2022 @ 05:02am

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Parents need to use this accident to remind their kids about the dangers and benefits of social media. It's good she documented the incident for investigators but hopefully she wasn't trying to impress strangers.

Moono Muleya

Sun, 08/21/2022 @ 08:16am

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It's so 😭 her death really hurts

Juju

Sun, 08/21/2022 @ 08:47am

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A lesson to all … if you don’t know how to swim or you are just an amateur, never go to the pool alone without a person who can save you from the jaws of death! The young lady definitely didn’t know how to swim but got carried away by the pressures of social media! Sad

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