East Africa floods: Kenyan fisherman Vincent Musila rescued Published duration 2 December 2019 Related Topics East Africa floods

media caption Kenyan fisherman trapped by floods rescued

A Kenyan fisherman has been airlifted from an island where he was marooned since Friday because of heavy flooding.

Vincent Musila had gone fishing at a river near Thika town in central Kenya when it burst its banks.

Crowds watched helplessly for three days as they waited for emergency services to rescue him.

More than 250 people have been killed and three million affected by flash floods and landslides across East Africa.

About half of the deaths - 120 - have occurred in Kenya, with more than 160,000 affected.

Mr Musila said flood waters came in "suddenly" while he was fishing from a small patch of land in the middle of the river, outside Thika town.

"Within seconds water was everywhere and I could not cross. It's been terrible over the last three days being stranded here in the cold and rain. I was hungry and went through a lot.

image copyright NTV Kenya image caption Vincent Musila's first meal in three days was a plate of sausage and chips

"There were so many mosquitoes and I was afraid of animals like crocodiles and hippos. But I am so happy and I feel well after such a dramatic rescue. I feel like I am reborn," he toldprivately owned NTV Kenya.

Crowds - which held vigils for three days along the banks of the river - cheered as a police helicopter arrived to rescue him, the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza reports from the capital, Nairobi.