Ethically Hearted Geologist, Campbell Bridges, Slain in Kenyan Mob Attack
Tragedy struck this past week when 30 men accosted Campbell Bridges, 71, his son Bruce, and four Kenyan employees near the town of Voi, in Southern Kenya.
“It was an ambush,” a shaken Bruce Bridges told The Times. “My men were cut to ribbons and I took a panga to the neck.”
Police suspect that this ‘ambush’ was with a group of unlicensed minors that had been trying to seize control over Bridge’s lucrative mining land. It seems this has been a long drawn out battle between both parties, and just recently the Kenyan mining officials had officially upheld Bridges’ rights to the land that invigorated the dispute. Soon after, this group began to harass and intimidate, and even offer death threats.
Bruce Bridges reported that the Kenyan authorities were told about the harassment and yet, nothing had been done. Police officials have yet to make any formal statements regarding this immense tragedy!
“He used to say that with the way things in Kenya were going, who knows what might happen,” Bridges said. “He knew the risks. He understood Africa. But to have something like this happen is just unbelievable.”
Campbell Bridges was best known for the discovery of the Tsavorite Garnet and for being the first person to bring ‘blue zoisite’ to the United States for identification by the GIA in New York in 1967. Tiffany & Company soon capitalized on this gemstone and launched a huge promotion, which they named it, ‘Tanzanite.’ He was a pioneer in the mining of fine gems in Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania with a career that spanned half a century!!
As you can see, Campbell was a legend in many ways and will be sorely missed. Our sympathy goes out to his family, friends, and colleagues who have been impacted by his tragic loss.
Tagged in: campbell bridges, killed in kenya, scottish geologist, gem expert, tanzanite, tiffany & company,
