Woman dies after car plunges into Indian Ocean at Makupa Causeway, Mombasa

Wreckage of the car that plunged into the Indian Ocean at Makupa Causeway, Mombasa. [Courtesy]

A woman died after the car she was driving, a Toyota Vitz KCY 556B, plunged into the Indian Ocean at the Makupa Causeway in Mombasa on Wednesday morning.

Winnie Achieng', 33, who was in the company of her son, Gift Otieno,12, is said to have been driving from Changamwe towards Mombasa Island when it happened.

According to a police report, the deceased was using the outer lane and overtook a motorcycle before hitting pavement and plunging into the ocean.

The car is said to have been speeding from Changamwe towards Mombasa Island when the accident happened. [Courtesy]

Rescue efforts began in earnest to save the two. The boy managed to swim to safety but his mother, who was pulled out of the wreck a few minutes later, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Coast General Hospital.

“I was in my boat when I saw the car plunge into the ocean. It took me some time to get to the car but I saw a boy swim to safety,” said one of the eyewitnesses.

“When I got here there was a boy who told us that his mother was trapped inside the car that had plunged into the ocean.

Rescue efforts after the saloon car plunged into the ocean [Courtesy]

“We immediately jumped into the water but we found the woman unconscious. We managed to pull her out of the car but we could not tell whether she was dead or alive,” added another.

Those at the scene claimed that the woman was strapped to her seat by a safety belt thus she was unable to get out of the car.

Members of the public look on as the car is pulled out of the ocean. [Courtesy]

This comes just over a year after a saloon car plunged into the Indian Ocean at the Likoni Channel, killing a woman and her daughter.

Mariam Kigenda, 35, and her four-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu died after their car slid from the rear of MV Harambee moments before docking on the Island side.

Additional reporting by Bernand Sanga.