Boating mishap survivors to be interviewed by NCD Police homicide team
The survivors of a boating mishap between the waters of New Ireland and Bougainville in late January will be interviewed by the National Capital District Police Homicide team.
The six survivors were part of a group of eight passengers who travelled on a 23-foot banana boat from Anir near Lihir in New Ireland enroute to Bougainville on 27th January when they failed to reach their destination.
They were rescued nearly a month later in the waters of Kiribati.
The 5 men and 9-year old boy arrived in Port Moresby from Kiribati on Wednesday 20th March where they had been kept since their rescue on the 26th February by a Chinese fishing boat, the Lometo.
The rescued men are Nason Koesana (48), Stanis Logan (41), Bensley Kaskas (35), Max Ben (9), Raynard Raiasok (25) and Liddy Birigin Kenehata (25).
Concerned boat owner, Bartholomew Sareke of Lontis village, Haku Constituency of Buka raised the alarm, by quickly reporting his concerns to the Bougainville Disaster Office & Emergency Directorate, which initiated search efforts in collaboration with PNG Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre, National Maritime Safety Authority and National Disaster Office in Port Moresby.
The youngest survivor was a 9-year-old boy, while two passengers were unable to survive the tough ordeal out in the open seas.
The Department of Foreign Affairs had been working closely with the Bougainville Disaster & Emergency Directorate, National Disaster Centre (NDC), and National Coordination Office of Bougainville Affairs (NCOBA) on the repatriation of the survivors back to PNG
Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko expressed his appreciation to the Chinese Government through its embassy in Port Moresby, the Government of Kiribati, the Fiji High Commission in Port Moresby, National Disaster Centre, National Coordination Office of Bougainville Affairs, Bougainville Disaster and Emergency Directorate, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and its overseas mission in Suva, Fiji for the joint efforts in ensuring the safe arrival of the survivors in the country.
"We are very grateful in this particular case, for our relations with the Government of the Peoples Republic of China, and the Chinese Embassy - for their efforts through their monitoring systems, and for the prompt communications of the rescue,” Minister Tkatchenko said
"I was able to personally convey the news of this rescue to the immediate families on the day they were found, as a result of their stringent protocols.
“Additionally, we salute and thank the crew of the fishing vessel, the Lometo for their part in the month-long search and rescue, and for their care and rehabilitation efforts for the survivors,” Mr Tkatchenko said.
Like a script taken out from a survival blockbuster movie, the perseverance to stay alive while adrift in the vast Pacific Ocean for 31 days, was a miracle for these Papua New Guineans and particularly so for the 9-year old.
The survivors are currently in Port Moresby undergoing humanitarian assistance in medical checks, care and trauma counselling, spiritual support, and also awaiting interview by the National Capital District Homicide team.