Editor's Review

A multi-agency operation has rescued a visitor who slipped and fell into the Mt Longonot Crater on Saturday, November 29.

A multi-agency operation has rescued a visitor who slipped and fell into the Mt Longonot Crater on Saturday, November 29.

In a statement on Monday, December 1, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said the man, identified as Bildad Simiyu, landed on a rock edge and rescuers were unable to get to him for hours.

KWS officers who were first responders were forced to pause the rescue operation after darkness fell.

The team, however, kept constant communication with Simiyu and monitored his condition through the night.

“On Saturday at Mt. Longonot, visitor Bildad Simiyu slipped and fell into the crater and landed on a rock ledge, making it difficult for rescuers to reach him. As darkness fell and extraction became too risky, our KWS team stayed at the crater rim, kept talking to him, reassured him, and monitored his condition throughout the night,” read the statement in part.

Read More

  1. KWS Addresses Blockage of Wildebeest Migration in Maasai Mara
  2. Gov’t Reviewing KWS Park Charges After Uproar
  3. Why KWS is Moving Over 150 Animals From Naivasha Farm

File image of Bildad Simiyu being rescued by multi-agency teams at Mt Longonot. 

At Sunrise on Sunday, KWS teamed up with the Kenya Red Cross, Nakuru Fire Brigade, the National Police Service and ITARC Hospital to continue searching for Simiyu.

The multi-agency team reached Simiyu and rescued him from the crater at around 3:00 PM.

“At first light, KWS officers teamed up with the Kenya Red Cross, Nakuru Fire Brigade, Kenya Police and ITARC Hospital to continue the rescue.

“After several hours of careful work, they reached him and safely brought him out at around 1500hrs,” KWS stated.

Simiyu sustained a fracture to his left leg and was taken to the Naivasha County Referral Hospital for treatment.

This comes months after KWS rangers rescued a family of 4 that went missing in the Tsavo East National Park.

After a 24-hour search, KWS located the family near Kabaguchi Ranger Camp in Yatta Plateau, and all four individuals were in good health.

In a statement, KWS said the family was spotted by Tsavo trust pilot Nick Haller on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

The family was reported missing on Monday, April 7, after they failed to exit the Tsavo East National Park via the Sala Gate by the 8:00 PM deadline.

KWS then deployed two fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter, three Land Cruisers, and ground teams from KWS and Tsavo Trust to locate the missing family.