Six Fijian health workers rescued after 36 hours adrift following capsized boat
Six health workers stranded for a day and a half after their boat capsized were rescued by a local captain near Lau Province.
On Wednesday morning a six-person health team departed Moce for the nearby island of Oneata to deliver medical aid, but their fiberglass vessel suffered engine failure amid choppy conditions and capsized. Wearing life jackets, the doctor, dentist, nurse, dental assistant, health inspector and peer educator clung to the boat’s wooden seats and drifted for 36 hours in open water. After the captain of the capsized craft attempted to swim for help, a search was launched by the Fiji Navy, police and the New Zealand Defence Force.
The crew of the local Goundar Shipping Services ship Lomaiviti Princess 12, captained by Adriano Rabolabiu—who attended school with survivor Viliame Sama—spotted the survivors near a small island 11 nautical miles from Lakeba. All six were rescued, taken to Lakeba for medical examinations, and the incident prompted the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji to call for stronger maritime safety measures.
Why it matters
The rescue underscores the dangers of inter-island travel and the need for better maritime safety in Fiji.
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