Cameroon :: Dieudonné Sapounga: An Expert in Swimming and Catching Live Fish :: Cameroon
Dieudonné Sapounga, aka “Fish Man” is capable of swimming for 72 hours non-stop and catches live fish in the water. The Southern governor was amazed by his prowess.
It once again attracted crowds to Ngoyè beach in Kribi on December 15, during the closing of the Nguma Mabi cultural festival. And among the thousands of curious people, the governor of the Southern region. Félix Nguélé Nguélé saw with his own eyes Dieudonné Sapounga, alias “Fish Man” and his son. He also touched them with his hands to reassure himself that these two extraordinary swimmers are humans. “I have often been told about the “Fish Man” of Kribi. I saw him today, and he showed me what he is capable of,” testifies the governor of the South, Félix Nguélé Nguélé.
Dieudonné Sapounga, aka “Fish Man” and his son, Aron Jérémy Sapounga, aged 15, dove into the ocean at 12 p.m. under the gaze of several thousand people. By swimming, they went to the open sea. Five hours later, they returned to the coast holding, each in one hand, a large sea turtle which they caught in the water. A phenomenon that many cannot explain. Swimming an estimated distance of more than 25 kilometers and dragging with them a live turtle weighing more than 15 kilograms. It’s a mystery to the crowd. “This man and his son are not from this world,” declares an amazed tourist.
Dieudonné Sapounga, 45, has been swimming, according to him, since the cradle. “When I was a baby, my mother would take me far out to sea and abandon me. I returned to the coast with the help of the waves,” he says. By swimming every day in the ocean, Dieudonné Sapounga fell in love with water. He says he can swim for 72 hours non-stop. “I train every day. And to get good results, I control my diet,” reveals the man. How does he catch a live fish or a turtle in the water? Dieudonné, with a slight smile, replies that it is not witchcraft. “You have to know how to tame nature. Every human has power over animals, regardless of location,” he adds.
“I would like to introduce other Cameroonians to do what I do. Nothing is mystical,” explains the “Fish Man” who is already preparing his succession. He also lets it be known that it was his son, Aron, who caught the turtle the other day.
Dieudonné Sapounga, this Mabi son of Kribi who, at the age of 20, refused to join the national navy as a diver, has a dream to realize before going to the afterlife. “I want to swim across the Mediterranean.” This is his wish. Day and night, he trains with his son to meet this challenge he has set for himself.
