Stranded tourist offers cash reward to locate long lost Fijian friend
Danny Barret is offering a $100 reward to anyone willing to help him locate an iTaukei man he befriended in Molokai, Hawaii way back in 1986. Mr Barret travelled to Fiji from Santo, Vanuatu, to lodge his wife’s visa application.
However, his journey turned into a search for his friend Etika Rabuni of Vanua Levu who he met through the Youth With A Mission (YWAM). “We became really good friends. He was a quiet guy while the rest of the guys were kind of outgoing. He was in his early twenties.
“I was around 28. I’m going to give $100 to start with if they can lead us to him because he is my brother of endless worth,” he said.
He said because of travel restrictions he was staying in Buabua, Lautoka, with his wife.
“We came on January 10 and the lockdown happened shortly. After that we were looking for Etika on Facebook and we kind of found someone, but there’s no answer,” he said.
“The last time I spoke to Etika was around 1995 when they came back to Molokai, I have to know something.
“I kept getting written letters but after he left the Anastasis, which was Christian ship, he must have lost mine.”
The 62-year-old said Mr Rabuni stayed at his home for a month and he was surprised by his humble nature.
“He would be the last to eat and the first to clean the dishes. He was very humble, and that’s what struck me, he would be in his fifties now,” he said.
Mr Barret said he would be returning to Vanuatu once restrictions were lifted.
“Right now there’s nothing left in sight. We talked to the Vanuatu High Commission so once the border opens then we will go back,” he said.