Mother’s Day no more for family as woman believed drowned
Afamily’s plans to celebrate Mother’s Day is no more after their mother was believed drowned in Wairiki River in Wainadoi on Thursday. The late Ani Naibosa’s, daughter, Titilia Delana, said their plans to prepare a big feast tomorrow has turned futile.
“My mother was a hardworking lady,” Ms Delana said.
“We miss her so much and we are so heartbroken with her absence.” Her last words to her nephew will forever be etched in his mind before she disappeared in the river. Originally from Tavuki, Kadavu, Ms Naibosa has been living in Wainadoi with her family. Twelve-year-old, Akariva Delana Jnr’s said his aunt’s last words to him were: “Give me everything you are holding, swim across first and I will meet you on the other side.”
Her body was later discovered near the South Pacific Bible College jetty in Wainadoi on Thursday afternoon.
Ms Naibosa was on a fishing trip with her two nephews Akariva Jnr and Emori Rokomoce, 11, when she was believed while trying to cross the river.
Akariva Jnr said her aunt had asked him to look for a piece of bamboo to help her swim across to the other end but he was not able to find one.
“She then asked me to go and call her husband (my uncle) who was also fishing with the other men on a different side of the water quite far from us,” he said.
“She asked me to do this because she was finding difficulties in swimming across.
“I swam across, got to dry land and ran to call my uncle panicking, I didn’t even notice that I had run past a few other relatives that I could have turned to for help. “When we got to where my aunt was we saw my aunt floating on the water and we quickly recovered her but all that was too late.” Ms Naibosa’s husband, Akariva Delana Senior, said: “I am still coming to terms with the death of my loving wife.
“We had a good breakfast on Thursday morning and we were all happy before we departed on our different trips to get food.” A Police statement said a postmortem examination would be conducted.
Ms Nabose is survived by his husband and five children.
She will be laid to rest at the Delaikalivari Settlement burial grounds in Wainadoi on Tuesday. In Batiri, Macuata
Meanwhile, the body of Sialisi Lewani, of Batiri Village in Macuata Province in the North was found in a in the nearby creek on Thursday afternoon.
The 52-year-old was a bachelor and being the youngest of five siblings he stayed with their sister. His elder brother, Waseroma Vakatikati, said: “He was very smart in tailoring; and everyone in the village used to get their clothes stitched from him,” he said.
“He was also doing dalo farming.” Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said the deceased was found around 2:35pm.