Merewalesi Seruvatu has spoken publicly for the first time about the disappearance of the “Nanuku Nine”, revealing new details that have deepened questions over what happened to the group of fishermen who vanished at sea two weeks ago. The 46-year-old boat owner said the fiberglass skiff and outboard motor she bought last year had become the backbone of a growing fishing business shared with the late skipper Osea Vakaruru and his team, and that she is still struggling to process the loss.
“The boat was our livelihood,” Seruvatu told this newspaper. “It helped my business thrive, and also helped them with their family’s wellbeing.” She said the men normally travelled in groups of six – one skipper and five divers – but that on the final trip she later learned nine men had boarded the vessel. “That day was the only day I did not see them off,” she said. “Later I learned there were nine of them. That was new. They always go in sixes.”
A boat captain later found the vessel submerged in waters off Vunaniu, Serua. The captain reported the outboard motor was intact and tilted upward, a position that suggested the engine had been stationary when the boat sank. He also told Seruvatu he found a pair of men’s underwear stuffed into the gap where a stop cork should have been – an odd detail that has alarmed relatives and added to the mystery.
Seruvatu said the original stop cork had previously been damaged by another team of divers and was replaced before the missing trip. She did not provide further details on who carried out the repair or when it was done. The combination of a replaced stop cork, underwear blocking the stop-cork gap and the engine’s position has prompted more questions among the families and the local community about the vessel’s seaworthiness and the circumstances of the disappearance.
A memorial service for the fishermen is being held at St Pius X Parish in Raiwaqa, Suva, where Seruvatu said she will be with the families. The nine missing are named as skipper Osea Vakaruru, 56, and his three sons – Sitiveni Takivakatini, 27, Mateo Tikoitoga, 24, and Esekaia Boladuadua, 20 – along with Savenaca Sokini, 35; Lemeki Tikoitoga, 35; Pita, 35; Maciu Niubalavu, 29; and Julian Tavola, 23.
The loss has left relatives and neighbours grieving and seeking answers about why the men, who relied on regular fishing trips to support their households, did not return. Troubling details disclosed by Seruvatu mark the latest development in the case and underscore ongoing concerns about vessel maintenance, safety practices and the circumstances that led to the small fishing boat’s sinking.