ONE person is reported dead after a 60 Horse-powered boat with four persons aboard sunk whilst travelling from Gizo to Lale village on Ranongah island in the Western Province, last Friday.
The body of the dead person is yet to be recovered but the search has already been called off due to bad weather and the remoteness of the location.
The four persons were allegedly consuming alcohol when their trip took an ill turn.
The exact cause of the accident is yet to be determined, but it was reported that the boat engine died due to mechanical problems and the persons aboard were said to be under the influence of alcohol.
The survivors told Solomon Star Gizo that they managed to stay afloat in the water for a grueling 12 hours before being rescued by villagers from Rannogah Island at 4am Saturday.
“Sadly, one of us swam across to the dangerous reef at Dekere Point in an attempt to reach safety but tragically met his demise. Up till now, his body remains unaccounted for.
They said the person who died was hit by a wave and his body is still at large.
One of the three survivors incurred severe injuries due to burns from petrol fuel and is receiving treatment at the Gizo Hospital. The other two were found floating together and were also transported to Gizo Hospital for treatment.
The Gizo Police Stubby boat was alerted of the incident and a rescue mission was initiated to locate the missing passenger’s body.
However, due to challenging sea conditions and the remoteness of the location, efforts to recover the body were unsuccessful and the search was called off yesterday.
The sunken boat was later found washed ashore on Simbo Island near Rannogah Island.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
