People walk past the effects of a snowstorm in Central Park on October 31, 2011 in New York City. A major search to locate a Kenyan student who went missing after a heavy snowstorm hit Alaska on Sunday night has been launched. Photo | FILE |               
A major search to locate a Kenyan student who went missing after a heavy snowstorm hit Alaska on Sunday night has been launched.
Marko Cheseto Lemtukei, a student athlete at University of Alaska in Anchorage was last seen outside the campus library and was not wearing a winter coat.
Cheseto who hails from Kapenguria did not return to his apartment and it was feared that he was out in the biting cold with no warm clothing.
A search team with dogs combed the areas around the university for any signs of Chesoto but it was suspended soon after nightfall.
Weather reports indicated that a more dangerous storm was approaching and was bound to be one of the worst in the area’s history.
University student
The 28 year-old student is a nursing and nutrition major and has competed on the university’s track, field and cross-country teams and has won the All America honours twice, an honour given to the top student athletes in the US.
In September last year, Cheseto led his team to a perfect team score of 15 in the Hawaii Pacific Sand Island Invitational. This feat earned him the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Male Athlete of the Week.
The University has been home to many Kenyan student athletes from Kapenguria who are enrolled in the school’s athletics program.