A group of secondary school students from Taveuni faced a harrowing experience on Saturday night when the Sun City vessel they were aboard became stranded in open waters.
Timoci Kalousa, a Year 12 student, recounted the frightening incident, noting that initial hopes for a quick fix turned to panic as the reality of their situation set in. He described how, with no immediate help available, some students, including himself, chose to jump overboard, although they were cautioned by a teacher against attempting to swim towards Taveuni due to the late hour.
The students were returning from Savusavu, where they participated in a netball match, with the boat carrying four netball teams, three teachers, and a coach when the incident occurred around 8:30 PM. Kalousa revealed that it took several hours for the vessel’s owner to conduct a rescue operation.
Despite life jackets being available on the boat, they were not issued to the students. Following the incident, at least two students were taken to the hospital, but their injuries were reported as non-life-threatening. Kalousa mentioned that he and the others, including teachers and the coach, managed to reach the shore safely without receiving immediate medical attention. They were advised to rest for a day to recuperate from the ordeal.
The Fiji Police Force confirmed the vessel’s distress call on Saturday night and were in coordination with the captain of the boat. They reported that a second ferry was dispatched for the evacuation of passengers and described the situation as manageable. However, no formal report regarding the incident had been filed.
Rai Chand, the owner of Sun City, stated that the vessel ran into a reef, attributing the mistake to the captain. He responded swiftly after receiving a call from the captain, successfully rescuing all passengers, with the last group reaching the shore by midnight.