Kenyan woman presumed drowned after car plunges into Canadian river

A Kenyan woman who is presumed drowned after her car plunged into a river in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, has been identified as 24-year-old Benina Jepkoech.

According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Jepkoech, who arrived in British Columbia last year, is believed to have entered the North Thompson River after her vehicle went off the road at around 6:30 p.m. PT on May 17, 2026.

Her friend, Jacinta Mugo, who was with her moments before the incident, said the tragedy may have occurred because Jepkoech had little driving experience in Canada.

The 24-year-old was remembered at a service in Kamloops on Saturday, with friends across the country said to be shocked by the incident.

“She was humble, she was respectful and ... she was friendly to everybody. If you would have met Benina, Benina was so polite. Like, extremely polite,” Mugo said.

“We can't really do anything at the moment without her, without knowing where she is or knowing what we're supposed to do,” she added. “So, what we're just doing right now is just pray and hope and wait.”

Mugo said Jepkoech had visited her house, located just up the street from where the car left the road on Schubert Drive, only minutes before the incident occurred.

According to Mugo, the sister of the 21-year-old passenger in Jepkoech’s car — who was rescued from the North Thompson River by bystanders — had wanted to borrow a blow dryer.

She said the passenger had arrived with Jepkoech, and after she handed them the blow dryer, Jepkoech suggested she drive the car on their way back.

“She wanted to eventually buy a car for herself, and she had not been driving, she'd never driven here in Canada before,” Mugo said.

Mugo explained that in Kenya, motorists drive on the left side of the road, unlike in Canada, where they drive on the right. She believes Jepkoech may have panicked after merging onto Schubert Drive and seeing an oncoming vehicle.

“I think due to the panic ... she accidentally turned all the wheels to the right facing the river,” she said.

“And then instead of probably pressing on the brakes, she pressed on the gas, and that's when the car flew and plunged into the river.”

According to Mugo, Jepkoech worked full-time at a hotel in downtown Kamloops and also held a second job at the Afrofusion restaurant.

The two women first met while volunteering for the Red Cross in Kenya in 2022 before reconnecting last year when Mugo was asked by a friend to pick someone up from the airport — a person who turned out to be Jepkoech.

Mugo said Jepkoech’s family had been informed of the tragedy and remained hopeful she would be found soon.

“We are ready for any outcome — whether she's alive, whether she's not — we just want her to be found,” she said.

Jeremy Frankel, a search manager with Kamloops Search and Rescue, confirmed that the search for the vehicle remains suspended because the river is swollen from spring snowmelt.

He said rescuers would consult with the RCMP before deciding when the search could resume, although no timeline has been provided.