Kenyans Raise More Than 100k in a Span of Minutes for a Kenyan who Drowned in Australia

Kenyans have proven their unity once again by coming through and raising more than 100k in a span of minutes to show support to the family and ensure that Sharon Kigen’s body is brought home. 

A swimming trip with friends turned tragic for a Kenyan student in Australia on Tuesday when she drowned and died.

She was a student at the Australian Catholic University in North Sydney.

Sharon Jepkosgei Kigen, who had just traveled to Australia in November 2022, drowned on Tuesday afternoon in Sydney's south-west, according to 9 News.

At around 3.45pm local time, a rescue crew was called  to Georges River at Macquarie Fields after she "failed to resurface" while swimming.

Police in New South Wales (NSW) said they searched the water for her. "Officers from The Traffic and Highway Patrol, along with members of the public, entered the water and began searching the water where the woman was located and brought to the shoreline," NSW Police said in a statement.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed by NSW Ambulance paramedics (CPR) but she had already passed on.

Ms Kigen was from Moiben, Uasin Gishu, and her family is now seeking financial assistance to return her body back to Kenya for a proper burial. 

Her family and friends have since set up a GoFundMe page to collect funds, with the goal of raising Sh2.5 million (AUD$20,000) to have her body returned to Kenya.

This is the second time in less than six months that a Kenyan has drowned while travelling abroad. 

Another similar case shocked friends and family in August  when a healthcare worker drowned in a pool while on a Facebook live stream. 

Hellen Nyabuto, a Kenyan nursing student studying in Canada, suffered a similar ordeal and drowned. 

24 year old Nyabuto was seen in the video speaking to viewers at the shallow end of the pool before swimming offscreen into deeper water.