The Fiji Navy fleet Class Patrol Boat, RFNS Puamau has hit a reef in Fulaga, Lau and is stranded there at the moment.
The Republic of Fiji Navy acknowledges the recent grounding incident involving their patrol boat that was midway through a two-week patrol tasking.
They say their utmost priority is the safety and welfare of all crew onboard and safely recovering the vessel.
A crisis management team has been assembled to oversee the situation, with emergency support crews enroute and secondary support arrangements underway in collaboration with their partners. The Fiji Navy says as their focus remains on ensuring the safety of personnel and recovery of vessel, additional information will be disseminated from HQ Navy as it becomes available.
Under the Vuvale partneship between Fiji and Australia, the navy boat was a huge step up in strengthening Fiji's security in mitigating transboundary related illegal activities.
The vessel is named after late Able Seaman Timo Puamau, a Nayau, Lau sailor who died on board a naval vessel that torpedoed in Solomon Island waters at the peak of World War II in the Pacific.
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