WHAT supposed to be a usual Friday evening trip back to Kolombangara in their 15 hose-powered fiberglass canoe after a day in Gizo Town turned into a disaster resulting in one dead, three still missing and four rescue.
The seven passengers – six male adults and the wife of one of the men – departed from Gizo, Western Province, at approximately 5pm on Friday evening enroute for Kolombangara.
Inside their boat are also cargoes and goods after a day’s shopping in Gizo.
According to one of the survivors, the weather was not favourable.
“The sea was rough and started coming into the boat, we also lost the container which is used to bail out water from the boat because of the rough sea,” the survivor, who refused to be named, said.
He said it was in the middle of their trip at around 6pm that the boat sunk due to the rough sea and strong current.
He said the passenger who died, an elderly person, drowned as they tried to stay afloat in the rough conditions.
He said he only survived because he managed to swim to Kolonuka Island, outside Gizo Town, to alert villagers who alerted the police.
“Because of the strong current, when our boat sunk we float in different directions while trying to stay afloat. The other two passengers drifted in other directions and the others drifted towards Vella.
“I was lucky to be alive after I swam to Kolonuka Island where I was rescued by a boat which transported me immediately to Gizo Hospital,” the survivor said.
Police in Gizo immediately responded by sending a search party to look for survivors that same evening.
The couple, who was also in the sunken boat, was found outside an island near Saeragi yesterday afternoon, they were rescued by a boat from Saeragi and later transported to Gizo Hospital by the hospital ambulance.
The police rescue team found a fourth survivor yesterday afternoon outside Gizo Island and transported him to Gizo Hospital.
Three passengers are still missing. Two of them are a father and son.
The survivor, who had spoken to Solomon Star, had since been discharged from hospital, the other three are still admitted at Gizo Hospital.
The Solomon Islands Meteorological Services has been issuing strong wind warnings since last week as a trough lies north of the country causing persistent general southeast trade wind flows over the islands.
SIMS yesterday said the strong wind warning is current for most waters of Solomon Islands.
It warned people to take precautionary measures as such strong winds have the potential to impact lives and properties.
“Sea travellers are urged to consider safety actions as such winds can produce dangerous wave conditions which are hazardous to small boats,” SIMS said.
Meanwhile the rescue mission to find those still missing between Kolombangara and Gizo is continuing as we went to press.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
