Uganda PoliceForce marine officers on Sunday evening responded to a distress call from a passenger aboard MV Vanessa on Lake Victoria after it ran out of fuel and stopped moving in the middle of the lake.
Passengers had boarded the boat from Kalangala District heading to Water Front Beach Entebbe and after it got stuck, passengers panicked and were scared of their fate if it did not move.
Luke Owoyesigire the Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson says their officers responded and later got to know that it was not a mechanical issue that had made the boat to fail, but they had run out of fuel.
"The boat management had sent for fuel and the rescue team arrived at 5:17pm with fuel which enabled them to sail again to Lutoboka. We have summoned the boat captain to record statements upon what exactly happened and why he had opted to set sail without enough fuel" Owoyesigire says.
Police officers in the Marine unit have also confirmed that all the occupants of the boat later arrived safely at their destination and there was no cause of alarm, but appealed to the public to always inform the Police Marine Unit whenever such issues happen on our toll free line 0800 300113.
Around this time last year, the country was mourning over 30 revelers who drowned aboard MV Templar after their boat got a mechanical issue. The boat owner and his wife were also aboard the ill-fated boat. This was seen as a wake up call to vigilance of people who use water transport.
