DEATH ON THE NILE: Newlywed dies in river while saving son from drowning during family vacation
PAKWACH, UGANDA: A tragic incident turned a UK family's vacation into a disaster as 48-year-old Robert Kaweesi drowned in the River Nile while trying to save his 12-year-old son. The heroic father's body was recovered by local police divers on Friday, August 19, 2022, after a two-day search that involved submarines, police, and fishermen.
Kaweesi was on holiday with his wife and four children in a river-side lodge after he and his wife got married in Uganda earlier this month. The family had gone for a swim when his son was suddenly "overpowered" by the Nile's turbulent waters. Seeing his son struggle to stay afloat, Kaweesi swam after him. Several locals too came to help and while the boy was saved, Kaweesi went missing on Wednesday, August 17, 2022.
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"When they went swimming in the river, the son was overpowered by the waves. The deceased wanted to rescue his son but instead drowned and his son was saved," the police said about the incident.
After not resurfacing for a long time, a body, later recognized to be Kaweesi's, was recovered by the Ugandan police divers. The Nile Post reported that Josephine Anguica, a spokesperson for the local police, said, "The body of Robert Kaweesi has just been recovered by police divers from the River Nile. They are in the process of transferring the body to Pakwach health centre IV pending postmortem."
According to reports circulating among local media sources, many believe that the family had been swimming in a restricted part of the river. Mr Kaweesi's death was confirmed by a spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office who said, "We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Uganda and is in contact with the local authorities."
Robert Kaweesi had recently gotten married in Uganda. He was a Uganda-born UK citizen and a resident of Birmingham. He worked as a refrigerator contractor. The family was on a three-week vacation in Uganda staying at the Gipir and Labongo Safari Lodge located in Pakwach.
Tourists are often warned by local lodges and resorts against swimming in turbulent rivers and are advised to follow all safety precautions.
