KISUMU, Kenya, Aug 30 – A search operation is underway at Ogal Beach in Kisumu West after a woman was attacked and dragged into Lake Victoria by a crocodile on Friday night.Witnesses said the middle-aged woman had just finished cleaning a fish banda with other women when she stepped into the lake to wash her gloves and was seized by the reptile.“She had just stepped into the water to rinse her gloves when the crocodile attacked her,” said Moses Otieno, Chairman of the local Beach Management Unit (BMU).The incident has shocked the fishing community, with residents gathering at the beach on Saturday morning to mourn. Otieno noted that crocodile attacks are rare in the area, which is usually busy with fishermen and traders.The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and local police have been notified, and fishermen are working with them to locate the body.“We are hopeful the search team will recover her body,” Otieno said. “Crocodiles usually take time to consume their victims, so a swift response could lead to a full recovery.”A search mounted by fishermen on Friday night was abandoned due to darkness but resumed at first light on Saturday.Environmental activist Michael Nyaguti, head of the Magnam Environmental Network, said the crocodile had been sighted in the area before.“This is a tragic reminder of the need for constant vigilance near the lake,” he said. “Both crocodiles and hippos pose serious risks, and people must remain alert.”Search teams are focusing on reeds along the lakeshore, where crocodiles are known to hide their prey and feed intermittently.