Wife queries death of husband on tug boat
Theresa Linda, 37, at her family home in Nadera on July 8, 2020. She is preparing for her husband’s funeral. Ms Linda’s husband, Sauhili Patrick Tokoara (INSET), died on Monday onboard a tug boat, during a salvage operation in the Lau waters. Fonua Talei
The wife of the late Sauhili Patrick Tokoara is seeking answers as to how her husband died aboard a tug boat on Monday afternoon.
Mr Tokoara is said to have been part of a salvage team from South Sea Towage Limited that answered to the call of a grounded fishing vessel at Tuvuna-i-Colo Island reef in Lau.
It is understood that the fishing boat ran aground on the reef on June 24 and the salvage team was deployed the next day from Suva.
His wife of 12 years, Theresa Linda, 37, was still in shock that her husband died on the job because as she puts it: “He was very experienced at what he did.” Ms Linda said her husband left on June 25 and told her that he was going somewhere far where there was no mobile network.
“He works as a bosun on the tug boat and every time he goes for work, he would be gone for two to three days and would always call me, but this time when he went for more than a week, I knew something was wrong,” Mrs Tokoara said.
“He was such a happy soul, a good person. Always laughing and smiling, we could never tell when he was angry.” Ms Linda said nobody had informed her of the exact details of her husband’s death.
“I want to know what really happened and I told the Police that and they said they will investigate it.”
Mr Tokoara is survived by his wife, four siblings and extended family.
South Sea Towage general manager David Robertson said they would release more details today.
Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) is aware of the incident and are taking necessary steps to investigate it.