A young Kenyan student, Victor Ondimu Rangi, tragically drowned while swimming with friends in Germany, a country he had called home for the past seven years.

The 22-year-old, who was a student and a father of two young girls, lost his life in a heartbreaking incident that has left both the Kenyan and diaspora communities in mourning.

Victor’s sister, Catherine Mokeira Rangi, told that her brother was staying with friends when they decided to go swimming.

She disclosed that swimming was an activity the deceased man was not comfortable with, so she is yet to understand how he got convinced.

"Since childhood, every time we go out for swimming, he stays out of the water. I don’t know what happened that day, but he drowned," she said.

The tragic outing involved seven young people aged between 18 and 24. Three of them, including Victor, drowned while one was rescued by a friend who knew how to swim.

German police are currently holding Victor’s body as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

For Catherine, her brother's death is a blow to her, as she has raised all her siblings after losing their father at a young age.

"I became the breadwinner and helped them relocate from Kenya to join me here in Germany,” she said.

A GoFundMe page has been launched to raise €20,000 to help repatriate Victor's body to Kenya for burial and to support the family’s travel costs so they can pay their last respects.

The cost to transport the body to Kenya alone is estimated to be up to €10,000. Those willing to support can do so through this link.

"We will be grateful for whatever people can contribute," Catherine concluded, appealing to well-wishers across the globe to help give Victor a dignified farewell.

Speaking to , Diaspora Network Hub founder Mudge Rulf, issued a diplomatic caveat for newcomers in Germany to avoid man-made lakes and other water bodies.

She advised those who can’t swim well to keep off the temptation, as the waters are dangerous and have a reputation for costing lives.

"We have lost many Kenyans and Africans to drowning, and it is not a good feeling," she expressed.

In another story of grief abroad, Kevin Kiprotich Koima, the Kenyan man who tragically died in Poland, was recently buried.

Kiprotich disappeared on a day he was meant to report for work, only for his lifeless body to be recovered in the woods.

His family penned emotional tributes, from heartfelt words by his parents to loving memories shared by his siblings.

Kiprotich, eulogised as the light of their home, left a deep void and a legacy of love that will never be forgotten by those who knew him

Source: TUKO.co.ke