“We did not know whether we will survive or not but we still celebrated the New Year.”
These are the words of 25 year old Semiti Tuberi from Dakuiloma village in Oneata who is one of the five people who survived the ordeal of drifting for three days in the Lau waters from Monday.
Tuberi said that while drifting out at sea on New Year’s eve, they had a devotion, sang and shouted to celebrate the New Year.
The five used bench boards to paddle after their boat ran out of fuel and started drifting.
He said this is the second incident out at sea for him and he knew that they could still make it to land if they paddled as hard as they could.
The five did not have problems with food but they had to live without water for three days.
Tuberi recalls that they encountered rough seas and had problems in paddling.
The five included three men and two women who left Oneata for Lakeba to visit a family who came from Australia.
At 10am yesterday, Tuberi and others reached Oru in Lakeba, a place between Nasaqalau and Tubou village.
Tuberi is now with his relatives in Tubou while the other four survivors are back in Dakuiloma village in Oneata Island.
Story by: Rusiate Baleilevuka
