REMEMBERING GIZO UPDATE 01

 

The very last good bye: body of Joy, the woman in light green singlet was recovered. Her baby Ruta  is still missing with other passengers. 

HEART BROKEN SKIPPER

Skipper Steven Kaurawa is a heart broken 💔  and sad man.

For the past week, he has a forlorn lost look, wandering the shores of Gizo looking for answers. 

Steven, an outboard motor mechanic, was the original skipper of the boat that is now missing in Shortland Island waters in Solomon Islands.

He was taking his family from Gizo to Shortland Islands in a two boat flotilla when the other boat's two 40 horse power engines failed.

As the only mechanic, he changed boats to fix the engines. His original 23 foot banana boat with 75 horse power engine was taken over by another skipper Williko.

That boat departed and is now missing with 14 people, 8 of them from one family.

Sean Namai Wayne, whose 8 relatives are among the missing, said from Honiara today that his family back in Harapa village are in deep mourning.

"We are devastated and in tears," he said.

He said his relatives were on the way to Shortlands with the skeletal remains of their grandmother for reburial at Harapa village.

He named his missing relatives as: Paul Wenteroi and wife Benetta; aunty Joy and her baby girl Ruta; aunty Rose and her little daughter Tekavitta; his small brother Paul and Baranika.

Three of the young lads who were lost. This is where they separated forever. Pictures courtesy of Sean Namai Wayne.

Meanwhile a man on the second boat described how extreme bad weather engulfed both boats.

It was the last time survivor Tony Nonga saw the lost boat as it entered a dark foreboding squall.

Reporter Ben Bilua reported in the Island Sun, the weather was fine in the morning up to midday when the two engines on the second boat stopped. 

Nonga told the Island Sun that both boats pulled together while Steven tried to fix the engines.

As the sea was getting rough, the group agreed to let the 75hp boat go ahead with young Williko as skipper.

It was their last get together.

Nonga described the next 24 hours as terrifying. Even though Steven fixed the machines, by then the weather had turned rough with heavy rains and huge waves. 

Nonga said they were themselves swamped 3 times but each time this happened,  the passengers jumped out and held tightly to the boat while women bailed out the water.

It was until next morning when they sighted Moli island and went ashore.

Meanwhile the Solomon Star reports that more cargo has been found by fishermen from Choiseul Islands.

This included a coffin containing the bones of the granny.