Three women from Naroi Village in Moala, Lau, are thankful for the quick response by the Moala Police and villagers of Naroi in rescuing them on Wednesday night after their boat drifted out to sea.
Luisa Cavalevu, Emele Wati and Ledua Delailoa felt uneasy as something did not feel right several hours after they left on Wednesday evening.
According to Police, the three soon discovered they were drifting out further to sea, and panic started to set in.
They looked for familiar land markings and discovered that they were no longer in sight.
Police say the three women started to shout for help, frantically waving their torches in vain, to try to get someone to notice them, attempts that went on for more than two hours.
While Cavalevu insisted on swimming back to shore for help, the other two called for calm, and stated that someone would eventually notice them.
After more than two hours, they noticed a light signalling from the Moala Community Police Post and saw the light heading towards the village.
They then saw several torch lights at the seashore and knew that help was on its way.
Police and Naroi villagers managed to get to the three women and towed their boat back safely to shore.
For Cavalevu, the experience was frightening, and all she could think of was her family and children. She thanked Police for being vigilant and noticing the sign for help, as well as her fellow villagers for getting to them safely, as the situation could have turned out worse.
They also thanked Naroi Villagers for assisting with the rescue efforts.
