Daring beneath: The Baringo divers living on lifes razor edge

Not everyone would find any thrill in living on this kind of an edge; engaging in a sport whose center and very attraction is the ability to flirt with death and come out alive on every attempt.

But an ebullient group of divers famed as Cheploch Divers formed seven years ago in Baringo County have found quite a home living on life’s razor end.

On a typical afternoon, Joshua Kipkurui seems to be on the wrong side of a bridge on the road to Kabarnet – Baringo’s largest town – from Iten, gliding down with sheer stealth as he prepares to take a spectacular dive that to him is now so routine it no longer carries its true audaciousness.

He has attracted quite a spectacle but no one seems intent on urging him back to safety as he prepares to take an almighty dive down into the depths of the murky Kerio river.

And down he goes.

The drop is about 20 meters and just about the height of a 5 story building but no one knows how deep the plunge is.

Kipkurui is a member of a group of divers who have thrown caution to the wind to enjoy the thrill of propelling themselves into the river from elevated positions.

Phillip Kemboi – a second year University student living about a kilometer away in Kiboino – is one of the founding members of the group and its team leader.

Two of their members have died from the act but the double tragedy has not impacted on the group that harbors ambitious dreams to become professional divers.

A briefing usually precedes a diving session where the divers discuss key factors before they take the leap of faith. They have no special attire and they change in the thickets nearby. Safety is still a major concern.

“It all started as a pastime in 2009 but then we started to draw a large number of onlookers. Some would drop gifts and it was not until 2013 when we started charging 50 shillings each for the show.

“When we get here in the morning we do a quick survey of the river because we never know what it’s carried overnight. Silt and small rocks could be fatal,” Kemboi told Citizen TV.

Untrained as they are, Cheploch Divers have an adorable mastery of their art and live on the fundamental rule that if any one of them has second thoughts over their next leap then he is kept on bay. Composure, psychological preparedness and the state of their health are their most critical factors.

The divers who currently number 14 have now turned their passion into profits. Visitors to the gorge pay them varied amounts of money to witness their aerial artistry. On a good day, they can make a significant amount of money and in some instances; they head back to their respective homes wet and penniless.

-Amazing kids-

“They’re very young kids it’s amazing how they manage this. We’d only heard of them several times until we decided to come over,” an impressed tourist tells of her experience watching the cast has now become the unofficial search and rescue for the county when tragedy strikes near the water bodies, sometimes risking their lives as volunteers to recover bodies.

But their escapades have sometimes come at a fatal cost.

In the past few years, the divers who are drawn from high school and university have lost some of their members in tragic circumstances at the gorge. The county government has now banned the divers from jumping from this particular spot.

“We have no oxygen backup or any special swimsuits during these rescue missions so it’s another risk altogether. We often get sick considering we work across several counties; Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet,” Kemboi added.

Understandably, their family members are usually concerned about their safety and Kemboi’s mother, Mary Targok, who has long grown out talking him out of it usually hopes for the best each time her son heads to wow crowds at the gorge.

“I can’t stop him from doing the thing he loves the most. It earns him a decent living and I’m honestly glad he didn’t choose to go the path of crime instead. All I do is pray for him,” Targok stated.

One of their members has been conscripted into the Kenya Navy after he impressed selectors during the annual recruitments. Interestingly, the divers are not aware that their exploits mirror the global cliff diving championships that has elite divers from around the world competing to impress judges free-falling from a 28m platform.

The Cheploch diver’s antiques are amateurish compared to the professionals. Kemboi acts, as a mentor to the members and is still hopeful that their stunts could bear longstanding fruits in the future.

They hope to be fully employed by the county government as part of the search and rescue and also to be officially recognized as a tourist attraction.