I SAW MY DAD, SISTER SWEPT AWAY: BOY

Asix-year-old boy revealed yesterday that he watched helplessly as his dad and sister were swept away by strong river currents in Serua on Thursday.

Napolioni Kaitavo (Junior), a Nuku Primary School year one student described the final moments before tragedy struck.

Still missing are Nuku Secondary School industrial arts teacher Napolioni Kaitavo (senior) and daughter Aliti, a year 4 primary student .

Napolioni said his father met him and Aliti at the bank of the Wainikavou River to carry them to the other side of the river. The river flows into the Navua river.

He said his father carried him first and swam across to bring his sister.

He said he saw his sister clinging to his father’s neck. He said they were just about to reach him when a new current surge swept them away.

“I saw them floating away in the river and I never saw them again. I could not do anything. ”

He believes they are still alive.

School principal Junior Hereniko said he was attending a workshop in Suva when he was told of the incident.

He said he hoped they would be found alive.

Mr Kaitavu is from Navaka Village in Rewa. Yesterday Mr Hereniko said he was at the village to inform them of this unfortunate incident.

Mr Kaitavu has been teaching in the school for five years.

Yesterday when the Fiji Sun visited Nuku Secondary School, all the teachers with Mr Kaitavu’s wife, Rosalia Kaitavo, continued the search. The school was closed

The people of Naimasimasi village were searching the other side of the river and the forests.

Sixty four-year-old grandmother Selina Liku said this was the first drowning incident at the river for a visitor.

“Only God knows if they are still alive,” she said. School teacher Vereima Likuivalu said they were all shocked to hear of the news.

The teachers and the villagers searched on Wednesday and a bag was found. “This did not belong to them as their bags were at their home,” she said.

She said when they gathered at the Mr Kaitavu’s home on Thursday night, his namesake was telling them that they were sleeping somewhere.

Mr Kaitavu has five children.

The Police were also at Nuku yesterday, conducting their investigations and helping in the search.

Photos: Fernando Lobendahn Left: Young Napolioni Kaitova Junior remains hopeful that his father and sister are alive. TOP: A villager points to the spot on the Wainikavou River, which flows into the Navua River, where Napolioni Kaitova and his daughter Aliti were swept away by strong currents on Thursday.

IN HAPPIER DAYS... Still missing are dad Napolioni Kaitova (Snr) and daughter Aliti.

Fernando Lobendahn Napolioni Kaitavo (Junior) left with school teacher Rosalia Kaitavo at their house at Nuku Secondary School on January 17, 2020. Photo: