A Kenyan family is in mourning after their son, a student who went out to swim in a public lake in Newcastle, Australia drowned in a tragic event.

According to Australian police, the 23-year-old Orville Kimutai Tures drowned in Stockton Lake in the western part of Shotts town on Saturday.

Tures is said to have flown out to study in Perth in March 2023 and had gone for a swim at around 3:15pm on on that fateful day when tragedy struck and members of the public could not help.

The body of the Kenyan student was retrieved by police divers on Monday following a frantic search over the weekend.

“The male required assistance in the water and was unable to be helped by members of the public on shore. Police attended the scene and commenced a search,” read a Western Australia Police Force report.

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The family of the young man has already established a GoFundMe page to fundraise to fly Tures’ body back to his rural home in Kapteren, Keiyo North in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

“The family in Kenya is mourning their beloved son who is miles away. We would like to respectfully request your support and prayers during this difficult time,” said his family on GoFundMe.

The family added on the crowdfunding platform, “The late Orville's body is still with Bunbury police.”

Kenyans living in Australia have expressed their grief on learning of Tures’ demise with social media influencer Sergent Alfred Koech, who is based in Aussie, condoling the family.

https://swalanyeti.co.ke/admin/posts/create#https://swalanyeti.co.ke/admin/posts/create#“I was sharing some words of encouragement with the late Orville Kimutai just last week. Orville was a quiet and down-to-earth guy with lots of talent. He had just come to Australia back in March of this year. Death took such a humble guy from us. We mourn as the Kenyan community in Western Australia. We also mourn with the family,” said Koech.

This comes almost a year after 23-year-old Hellen Kemunto Nyabuto alias Wendy drowned in a pool in Toronto, Canada while streaming her afternoon outing on Facebook Live.

The Kenyan nurse was later laid to rest at her family home in Getare Misesi village in Bomachoge Chache, Kisii County after her family raised funds to repatriate her body.