TRAGEDY Boy, 9, Drowns at Suva Foreshore
DIVERS RETRIEVE HIS BODY. HE AND FRIENDS WENT SWIMMING WITHOUT TELLING PARENTS
Anine-year-old child is dead after he drowned at the Suva foreshore opposite the Fiji Police Academy in Nasova in Suva yesterday afternoon. Marika Bolavucu Junior was brought to shore by Fiji Police divers who were alerted by a Police officer. The divers, who were on a training exercise, quickly reacted and managed to find Marika’s body.
Medics and Police emergency response teams tried to resuscitate him at the foreshore and later took him to the hospital.
A big crowd gathered as the boy was attended to. Initially, Police conducted a search again as it was believed that another child had drowned, but this was later dispelled as all the children involved had been accounted for.
What happened?
Marika, a Year Two student at Draiba Primary School was playing with his four other friends, Sakiusa, James, Orisi and Mosese.
James Vuli, 7, said none of them had gone to school. He said it was after lunch and they were playing at Nasova Police Grounds when they decided to go for a swim.
“At the seaside, we found a bilibili; we decided to take a ride on it. The bilibili drifted a bit far. Sakiusa said for all of us to jump,” James recalled. “When we jumped, the bilibili went off balance, and Marika fell into the water.”
James said the water was up to his nose. He recalled a man coming to the aid of one of his friends Mosese. He said when they reached the shore, Sakiusa and James went to the first Police officer they saw. Orisi Talemaiqamea also gave a similar version of the events.
The Police officer notified the dive team who brought in Marika’s body.
It is believed that one of the boys, Sakiusa, had run away and located later.
None of the children’s parents had been notified that they were going out for a swim.
A grieving father
Marika Bolavucu Senior had left home at midday yesterday. He is a member of the Fiji Police Band and was part of the team that had performed for Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the ANZ Stadium earlier this year.
“Before I left, I had made his tea and left some bread on the mat for Junior. When I returned later in the afternoon, I was surprised to see the tea and bread had been untouched,” he said. Mr Bolavucu stared at the cup of tea that was still on the mat.
He had been raising Marika Junior by himself for a little over a year now after he and his wife had parted ways.
He said his son was full of life, loved rugby, school and his friends above all else.
“I can recall last night, I was polishing my shoes and he was talking with his friends in the kitchen,” Mr Bolavucu said.
In a little over two weeks, Junior would have celebrated his 10th birthday on October 29. Mr Bolavucu said he had now put all his trust in God and was being strong for his son.