Tracy Xu, a Chinese woman working in Thailand, found herself in a life-threatening situation while on a trip to Kenya with two friends at the end of April. Their intention was to enjoy the beauty of wildlife during the off-peak season. Unfortunately, they faced a devastating flood in the middle of the night. Tracy clung to a pillar for six hours amidst the raging waters before being rescued. This harrowing experience has profoundly impacted her, and she still flinches at the sound of rain. Now, Tracy and her friends are pursuing compensation from the hotel where they were staying during the incident.
The flooding this year had severely affected East African countries, especially Kenya and Tanzania. On April 30, Tracy, along with her friends Liu Jiatou and Seven, arrived at the renowned safari destination Masai Mara, staying at a luxury camp known as Basecamp Masai Mara. Tracy recalls that the camp boasted excellent ratings and even claimed to have hosted Barack Obama, charging up to $200 per person per night. Upon arrival, the staff warmly welcomed them, assisting with luggage and offering drinks, creating a pleasant first impression. However, they were warned to stay indoors after dark due to the lack of streetlights and staff supervision.
The camp featured individual tents, and Tracy’s friend Liu was assigned to the lowest tent, which raised alarm for Tracy given its location. As Tracy entered her tent, she noticed the river outside was swollen and fast-flowing. “It felt like stepping outside would lead me right into the river,” she recalled, not realizing this foreshadowed the nightmarish events to come.
Around 1 AM, Tracy was jolted awake by a thunderous clap of thunder and received a call from Liu, who informed her that floodwaters were entering her tent. Despite trying to alert the hotel staff through various communication tools like a walkie-talkie and flashlight, their attempts went unanswered. Moments later, Liu told Tracy that her tent had been completely swept away and that she had sought refuge in a nearby tree. Panic-stricken, Tracy realized water had begun to rise rapidly in her tent, and soon it was at waist height.
To avoid being swept away, Tracy clung desperately to a pillar in the tent, calling for help into the pitch-black night. Fortunately, she had her phone and began messaging various contacts. She learned that Seven had been evacuated due to the height of her tent, but the response from rescue efforts was minimal and vague. Hunched over in just her light clothing, the cold water splashing against her left Tracy shivering and increasingly hopeless.
At around 5 AM, Tracy learned that a helicopter was on its way, reigniting a flicker of hope as dawn approached. When light began to break around 6:30 AM, she could finally assess the perilous surroundings: trees surrounded her, and the mud-colored flood surged violently past, with debris continually striking her.
Finally, after about six hours of clinging to the pillar, Tracy heard the sound of helicopter blades. Rescuers arrived, wading through the flood, equipped with life jackets and ropes, and guided her to safety across the river. She later discovered these heroes were from the local organization Mara Elephant Project, dedicated to rescuing elephants affected by the disaster. Afterward, at a local hospital, Tracy reunited with Liu, who had clung to a tree for 12 hours before being rescued by villagers.
This ordeal has left lasting scars on Tracy both physically and emotionally. At the time of the incident, she was menstruating and, after being rescued, her period returned just two weeks later. She endured bruising from debris hitting her during the flood and frequently experiences calf cramps. Now, even the sound of rain triggers a stress response.
Liu, who experienced an even longer ordeal, gained widespread media attention after sharing her story on social media in China. Both women believe the hotel’s lack of emergency procedures for floods contributed to their harrowing experience and losses. They are actively seeking compensation for financial and emotional damages; however, since May, their communications have yielded disappointing results, with only a refund for the room charge received.
In July, the Basecamp Masai Mara resumed operations after a period of adjustments. Following the flood, numerous comments from Chinese netizens who learned of Tracy and Liu’s harrowing experience appeared across various review sites, lowering the hotel’s ratings, although it currently maintains a high score of 4.4.
