3 missing at sea
Fri Aug 01, 2008 12:00pm
Three people are still missing at sea after their 23 foot banana boat
capsized and sank early yesterday morning in the waters of the Saint
Georges channel between the Duke of York Islands in East New Britain
province and West Coast New Ireland.
The fourth passenger, who managed to swim ashore at Maren village on
Duke Of York, raised the alarm yesterday evening to the officer in
charge of Molot government station.
Selman Emos, 50, and three others including the operator were
travelling from Kokopo to King village on the west coast of Namatanai
when their their boat capsized.
Sialis Emos, the son of Selman told NBC News in Kokopo this morning
that the boat had left with many cargoes and its passengers and after
they have passed Duke Of York Islands, the propeller of the 40 horse
power engine got entangled with debris which cut off the engine and
the boat sank immediately.
He said his father managed to hang onto a piece of wood that helped
him to swim ashore while the other three men who were also clinging
onto a timber pallet frame were separated quickly from him by strong
sea currents.
Strong winds and rough seas were pelting the seas of Saint Georges
channel when the accident occurred.
The Disaster Unit in Kokopo only received the report this morning and
no arrangement have been made as yet to search for the missing people.
The four men are all from King village in West Coast Namatanai and
were returning to their village after they had bought trade store
goods from Kokopo. |
