ST. MARTIN Y.T.C
Mfangano Island Lake Victoria
Marist Brothers Diocese of Homa Bay, Kenya
Postal Address: Marist Brothers Ramba P.O. Box 479, Homa Bay, Kenya
Bank Account: Marist Brothers Ramba A/Nr. 102557018 with CITIBANK, Nairobi, Kenya
The SWIFT address for Citibank Kenya is CITIKENA

January 2003

My dear Friends and SFX Boys,

Warmest greetings to you and all your loved ones. Hopefully, you have started the New Year well and life is good to you in spite of some bad news around the world.

I am sorry that the purpose of this note is to share some unhappy news with you. I simply wish to inform you of a serious accident we had on the lake.

On Monday, 20th January 2003, about 1600 hours, our fiberglass boat sank in Lake Victoria while crossing from the mainland to the island. All eight persons on board were rescued by three fishermen. We thank God and Mary, Our Good Mother, that nobody drowned.

The boat was not overloaded, as it only carried about one ton but is licensed to carry four tons. However, the lake was "rough". At this point, I cannot be explicit as to the cause of the accident even though I have a certain feeling as to what happened.

Thus far we have spent four days searching, with weighted nets, and with the assistance of experienced fishermen. We have now marked the spot, where we got stuck repeatedly, with floats. However, without a diver, there is no way to ascertain that we have actually found the location of the boat. The depth of the lake at that spot is approximately 100 feet. Kenya divers, including the marines, have no equipment. By good luck I met a shipbuilder from Tanzania who knows a diver who also has the gear. Unfortunately, he will not be available for two weeks, as he is at present in Uganda.

However, I keep in touch as we must do everything possible to salvage the 42 foot boat with its 48 HP outboard engine as the loss amounts to approximately two million Kenya Shillings (=27,000/-USD).

Needless to say, staff and students and myself are still in a state of shock. Thank you for your prayers and support in this difficult situation. How can one function on an island without a boat? As Shakespeare has one of his characters express something like, "you take my boats, you take the means by which I live."

God bless, Bro. Hans Seubert, FMS
(in the good old days known as Bro. Gregory and "James Dean")
PS. I would be grateful if you could pass this information on to other SFX boys.
Thanks. Bro. Greg