lexington man drowns

lexington man drowns

Family and friends of a man from the congo who was living in lexington are mourning tonight after he drowned in a lake this holiday weekend.

We have details and reaction in our top story at eleven.

The bath county coroner says it happened in the stoney cove area of cave run lake saturday afternoon around three- thirty.

The coroner says 22-year old... cubaka... mutayongwa... was in a kayak with his girlfriend about 50-to-75 feet from shore when the kayak started taking on water...they both ended up in the water, which the coroner says is about 15-feet deep in that area.

Investigators say cubaka helped his girlfriend toward shore where bystanders helped her the rest of the way...but he went under and never came back up.

His body was found two-hours later.

The coroner says neither were wearing life jackets.

The sudden and heavy loss felt by many in lexington and beyond.

Abc 36's bobbi mcswine spoke to his mentor...and as she tells us...cubaka touched the lives of many.

"chui.

I love you and i will miss you."

A sentiment shared by many in lexington...as evidenced by the outpouring of support on social media to honor the life of cubaka...who friends say was a refugee from the congo.

Sav: "my family, we just keep crying so much.

It's just like - still don't believe what really happened to him."

Sav says he met cubaka...known as chui...four years ago when chui was going to transylvania university at the same time as his daughter.

But sav says their friendship grew through their work with north limestone night market...where chui would ask him questions about starting his own business.

Sav:"we all have our dreams. thay boy - one time he approached me he said he had this business idea he wanted to do something no one else do here in town."

That dream...to own his own shop where he would sell his custom soda pop.

Sav says chui started selling it at pop-up-shops around town...but when he saw sav moving his restaurants into one location...he asked to take over until the lease was up.

Sav:"he's full of ambition.

Of dreams. and so i say - i told him, i say no problem."

That passion extended beyond being an entrepeneur who came to this country in 2012, according to the lexington herald leader.

The report says he helped unionize university of kentucky workers so they could get better pay.

He was involved in the n- double a c-p...and was a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field.

Sav says he wants every one...no matter how young...to chase their dreams...just like chui did.

Sav:"but never, ever give up.

Because it you continue, i'm sure you will succeed."

In lexington, bobbi mcswine, abc 36 news.

###### a gofund me for cubaka's family reached its original 15-thousand dollar goal tonight.

The new goal is 17- thousand five- hundred dollars.

Just before this newscast the go fund me reached....this all raised in a days time.

The organizer omar shalash says he used to coach cubaka in soccer.

Shalash says the family didn't ask for any finacial help, but shalash says it's one small way others can help during this time of grieving.

### a person had to be rescued from the