LOST & FOUND

 

The lucky Tanga Island boat found near Malaita by a Korean fishing trawler.
Picture by ship bosun Jojo M Osorio.

TANGA ISLAND BOAT  FOUND FLOATING IN SOLOMON ISLANDS

The banana boat from Tanga Island in New Ireland that went missing on December 23 last year after it left Namatanai for Tanga has been found safe.

The ten people on board were reported to be alive and in good spirits, having spent Christmas and New Year at sea. 

They were found by a Korean fishing trawler, the FV Teraaka.

Relatives of the missing confirmed the good news via FB posts.

Ms Beverley Danau Kilo posted: "We were preparing for 'haus krai' (mourning house) when we received the good news.

"God is good, they are safe and sound."

The survivors are still onboard the fishing vessel awaiting it to complete its fishing cycle before it docks in Solomon Islands.

When found by the fishing vessel 80 miles off Malaita and Saint Isabel Islands, the boat was floating on a calm blue ocean, minus its engine.

It seems the engine might have been dumped at sea to lighten the load in rough seas.

The skipper of the missing Tanga boat that was found.

How the boat and its passengers survived is yet to be determined as the South Pacific has been hit by tropical cyclones and bad weather, and a massive eruption in Tonga that has caused Tsunamis. 

Last December, another banana boat enroute from Kavieng to Tabar Islands, also in New Ireland,  was found washed up on Tench Island,  south west of Kavieng.

It is not uncommon for islanders to go missing in New Ireland waters and end up in Solomons or as far as Kiribati. 

In 1990s a boat from Masahet in Lihir ended up in Kiribati after nearly 3 months lost at sea. 

The Papua New Guineans from Tanga were extremely lucky to survive the storms in Solo waters.

On New Year's day, a family travelling on two boats from Gizo to Shortland Islands encountered bad weather in sight of Shortlands. 

The survivors having a warm meal onboard the fishing vessel. Picture by Jojo M Osorio.

One boat and its passengers survived a night of terror at sea while the other boat, carrying mainly women and children, was lost.

Fourteen people lost their lives,  a tragedy that rocked Solomon Islands.

Meanwhile our closest Melanesian neighbour is under lock down after an outbreak of covid 19.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has ordered a clampdown on movement of people.

He further accused a PNG doctor of illegally entering Solomons while allegedly being covid positive.

Back home in PNG, in yet another piracy attack in Madang waters, a boat was chased down by pirates and all on board were alleged murdered. 

Police are investigating.

The boat travelling down the south coast of Madang that was attacked by pirates.