The family of Beatrice Neema Kalume, 22, from Malindi town, Kilifi County has been left in distress after failing to retrieve her body.

The final year student of  Shanzu Teachers College reportedly committed suicide by throwing herself off the Kilifi bridge on Thursday last week. It is alleged that she left her home on the fateful day and was set for an unknown destination.

“She left at 3: 55am and I asked her where she was going and she told me she wanted to drink tap water within the compound but she failed to return, that is when I woke up his brother to try to find out but she could not be traced,” her mother told reporters.

Neema  was last seen on a boda boda and mid way the  Kilifi bridge she asked the rider to stop before she alighted hurriedly and proceeded to take her own life.

Eye witnesses say that she tried to call for help and even tried swimming before she met her death.

Neema’s body has been searched without success in the waters under Kilifi bridge and the exercise has since been suspended because of the visibility challenges that local divers were facing.

The county Kilifi county government also said it has no more divers to aid the exercise. The family has been forced to hire local fishermen in the search for their kin.

“We came here on Thursday and officers from the Kilifi Beach Safety Unit told us to wait for three days before they called us but we didn’t buy their ideas and so we hired some local fishermen to help us retrieve the body. The County government gave us a boat and fuel and said that it does not have professional divers. It is now the fourth day and we are still here,” her elder brother, Teddy Kalume, said.

Cases of people committing suicide at the Kilifi bridge have increased with police manning the bridge being accused of laxity.