The son of a woman who died when the MV Princess Ashika sank nine years ago said the tragedy still haunted him.

Siaosi Lavaka, 44, and his mother Lavinia Lavaka, 66, were expected to arrive at Ha’afeva in August 2009 to visit his bed-ridden father ‘Aleki Lavaka. Only Siaosi made it to the island.

Siaosi said he heard his mother calling his name when the doomed ferry sank, but darkness prevented him from reaching her.

That was the last moment he heard from Lavinia.

The vessel sank on 5 August 2009 and a government report released two weeks after the tragedy showed 54 men were rescued and 74 people were lost.

Only two bodies were recovered, with 72 missing. Of the 68 passengers and four crew who died, five were foreign nationals. Two of the missing passengers remain unidentified

A tearful Siaosi claimed in an interview with Kaniva News on Tuesday the vessel’s electrical power was off and no one could reach those in the inner top deck where his mother was waiting for him.

He said wind and waves repeatedly slammed into the ferry shortly after they left Nuku’alofa and Lavinia asked him to go down and check their cargoes in the cabin.

When he returned the vessel overturned and he could not find his way up the top deck.

Lavaka said he heard people shouting and yelling while her mother kept calling his name.

He said three youths were at the door of the cabin and when he understood he could not reach his mother he decided to save the children.

He later thought if he had been able to reach his mother, they were both dead.

“I thought at the time if I love my mother I better save the lives of these youths,” an emotional Siaosi said.

He said he rescued the three youths by asking them to hold on and stick onto the wall of the ferry while it was half overturned.

When the Princess Ashika completely overturned they climbed to the top and found themselves safe.

Those who were made it out of the Ashika were picked up by the MV Pulupaki which arrived shortly after the ferry sank.

When they arrived at Ha’afeva the residents were waiting crying at the beach as the news of the tragedy had already reached them, Siaosi said.

“What struck me most was the wish of my father to see his wife alive, but unfortunately she could not make it to see him,” Siaosi said.

Siaosi claimed some passengers attempted to flee and seek protection at the stern but some of them were killed by the vessel’s propeller as it was still turning.

Siaosi said the government compensated each person who was rescued alive from the tragedy with TP$8000.

“In my view that money was too small compared to my mother’s life and the disaster which happened,” he said in Tongan.

The captain of the Princess Ashika told news media shortly after the tragedy that the Government knew about the condition of the boat because they surveyed it before purchasing it.

He said financial pressure was the main reason the ship had not been stopped by officials, or the shipping company’s managers.

“They have no time to delay the boat to repair the boat,” he said.

The then opposition Leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva claimed at the time the government made the move to operate the unseaworthy ship because of political motives. Leaders of the then government did not want the domestic services to be dominated by the Uata Shipping Services.

The Services belonged to former MP ‘Uliti Uata who was a strong supporter of Hon Pōhiva and the democratic movement.

For more information

Ashika tragedy: Tonga does not have money to pursue legal action, says PM

About The Author

2 COMMENTS

  1. Ko Siaosi Lavaka, ta’u 44 ‘o Ha’afevá ko e taha ‘o e kau pāsese na’e hao mo’ui mei he ngoto ‘a e MV Princess Ashika ‘a ia ‘e kakato he uike’ ni ‘aho 5 ‘o ‘Aokosi ha ta’u ‘e hiva mei he ‘aho ne hoko ai ‘a e faingata’a’ ni.

    Na’e fakataumu’a ‘e na fononga mo ‘ene fine’eikí ko Lavinia ‘aia na’e ta’u 66 ko ‘ena feinga ki Ha’afeva ki he’ena tangata’eikí ko ‘Aleki ‘aia na’á ne puke, pea ko hono ta’u 73 ia.

    (Koe talanoa koeni ‘a Siaosí, na’á ne māfana pe mo lele noa hono lo’imatá he’ene manatu ki si’ene fine’eikí moe ‘uhinga ‘o ‘ena folaú)

    Na’e lolotonga ‘enau fonongá na’e fepāleaki holo ‘e he peaú ‘a e vaká pea fekau ‘e Lavinia, ke ‘alu ‘o vakai ‘ena utá na’e ‘i lalo pē. Na’á ne hifo leva ki lalo ‘o vakai ‘oku tūkunga mālie pe, peá u feinga leva ke kaka hake ki ‘olunga.

    Ka ‘i he momeniti na’á ne feinga hake aí kuo fakatafa e vaká pea kuo ‘osi mate mo e ‘uhilá.

    Na’á ne feinga ke a’u ki he’ene fine’eikí ka na’e ‘ikai, he kapau na’e mo’ui e ‘uhilá ke lava ha’aku feinga ka na’e ‘ikai ke lava.

    Kapau na’á ne feinga ‘o hū ki loto na’á ne mate ai pe ai mo ‘ene fine’eikí. (Na’e lele noa pe ‘a e lo’imata ‘o Siaosí he’ene lave ki he’ene fine’eikí).

    Na’á ne fanongo pe ki he kaikaila ‘a e kakaí peá ne fanongo ai ki he le’o ‘ene fine’eikí na’e ongo mai ’ene ui hono hingoá.

    Na’á ne tu’u fakataha pea mo ha toko tolu to’utupu ‘i he matapaá pea na’á ne pehē ko ‘ene ‘ofa ‘oku fai ki he’ene fine’eikí te ne fakahaofi ā ‘a e fanga ki’i fanau ko ‘ení.

    Na’a nau feinga leva ‘o piki ki he holisi ‘o e vaká he’ene fakatafá, pea ‘i he ‘alu ke mafuli e vaká na’a nau kaka leva ki he faliki ‘o e vaká ‘o piki ki ai ‘o nau tu’u lelei ai kae fai leva ‘enau feingá.

    Na’e mole ‘a e toko 74 ‘ikai toe lava haofaki’i pea lava haofaki’i ‘a e toko 54 ‘i ‘Aokosi ‘aho 5, 2009.