Three South African tourists rescued after boat capsizes off Watamu Beach

Three South African tourists and a local skipper were rescued after their boat capsized off the coast of Watamu Beach in Kilifi County, Kenya, on Thursday evening, September 17, 2026. The incident was reported by the resort's security manager at around 7:15 p.m. The boat was returning from a fishing trip when it was struck by strong ocean waves, causing it to capsize. Local community divers responded to the scene and rescued the occupants using their own boats.

The four occupants, including the South African tourists who had checked into the Ocean Sports Resort on September 16 and were set to check out on September 20, and a 29-year-old local skipper, were all rescued and taken back to the hotel. A clinician examined them and confirmed that they were in stable condition. The rescue effort to retrieve the capsized boat was hampered by the strong waves.

The incident bears a striking resemblance to another capsized boat tragedy that occurred last week in the Nyali area of Mombasa. On September 12, 2026, two people - a brother and sister - died when their boat capsized due to strong sea waves. Ken Barasa, 38, and Cynthia Barasa, 33, were recovered from the shore a day later. The boat was carrying two crew members and five local tourists and had departed from Fort Jesus at around 1:30 p.m., capsizing at approximately 2:45 p.m. on its return journey.