AN outboard motor (OBM) skipper has ordered his four passengers to jump overboard to save his ray boat powered by a 60hp Out Board Motor (OBM) and market produce.
The incident which surprised many occurred early Monday morning when the ray boat bound for Gizo the Western Provincial Capital encountered bad weather.
The ray boat left Leona village in North Vella La Vella and was travelling across to Gizo when it met strong wind and high swells.
Gizo Police also confirmed that six passengers were on board – three female adults, two male adults and a 14-year-old boy.
As the boat approached Gizo, it begun to take in water, prompting the driver to make the drastic decision.
Thus, in a bid to prevent the boat from eventually sinking, the driver was forced to order his four passengers, including his own 14-year-old boy son, to jump overboard.
Police said, the skipper and a female passenger remained onboard and the boat managed to travel through the rough seas to the first Island before reaching Gizo.
It was revealed the ray boat was forced to maintain speed when the skipper ordered the passengers to jump overboard so as to keep the boat from sinking.
After battling the rough seas the skipper dropped off the female passenger and all market produce which included; garden produces, betelnuts and seashells and sought help.
The boat travelled to Gizo purposely transporting vendors with their market produce.
With the support of relatives plus a Police stabi boat they returned to the location where the four passengers were dropped off.
Throughout the ordeal the four – two women, a man and driver’s son – held on to a piece of wood for hours as they struggled to survive the rough seas.
Fortunately, the four were picked up by a boat from Varese village in South Vella after they were spotted floating towards the direction of Rannoggah Island.
After arriving in Gizo, the passengers were taken to the Gizo Hospital for treatment and they spent Monday night and were discharged on Tuesday.
The unwise decision by the skipper sparked disbelief amongst the public in Gizo, with one questioning, “Is money more important than people’s lives?”
This is the second such incident to happen in North Vella.
Many years ago, a ray boat owned by Jones Adventist College (JAC) met rough seas and nearly sunk.
In order to save the boat, the boat driver ordered several students to jump overboard and remained afloat, while the boat went on to Vonunu to drop off the cargoes and other stuff.
On his (driver) return, he could not locate the students as they floated in different directions and it was also dark.
The students spent all night floating and were finally rescued the next day near Kolombangara island.
Vella is one of the main suppliers of betelnut at the Gizo market and most families on the island depend on their betelnut sales for their sustenance.
Supervising Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Western Province Superintendent Wilken Miriki on Wednesday reminded, all small boat owners and skippers to be conscious in making decisions when intending to travel during bad weather.
He said, it is always a wise idea for the small boat owners to consider safety first before starting a voyage to any destination.
“Boat owners as service providers must make sure necessary items like life jackets, a compass, extra paddles, water and fuel and make sure to obtain the current weather information before travelling.”
The Solomon Islands Meteorological Service is currently issuing its strong wind warnings and has discouraged the public from traveling in small crafts, especially during bad weather.
Note: The above photo is a file picture of a boat rescued by police during bad weather in the Western Province in 2023.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
