The Fiji Police Force is alerting small boat operators to pay close attention to weather conditions before heading out to sea. This warning comes in light of an incident where Navua Police responded to a distress call yesterday afternoon involving a fiberglass boat that capsized due to a large wave while carrying two individuals near the Navua passage.
Officers from the Navua Police Station were dispatched on the FB Navua to conduct a search and rescue operation, successfully rescuing the boat’s captain and a 17-year-old boy. The overturned vessel was also retrieved and returned to the captain after both were treated for medical needs at the Navua Hospital.
Assistant Commissioner of Police – Operations (ACP) Livai Driu expressed relief that there were no fatalities. He emphasized the importance for small boat operators to regularly check weather updates and to make sound decisions, placing safety as the highest priority.