Koro Sea tragedy
THE sinking of the vessel Kadavulevu in April 1964 remains one of Fiji’s worst sea tragedies.
The cutter, which capsized and sank in the notorious Koro Sea, carried with her under water 89 people. There were only three survivors.
On April 2, 1964, initial reports in The Fiji Times noted that 20 passengers were feared dead.
First news of the sea disaster reached Suva on April 1, 1964 through 43-year-old Seini Wakesa, believed then to be the only survivor.
Seini was washed up the shoreline of Nasoata Island, at the mouth of the Rewa River after she swam for two and a half days.
Barely conscious, she gave sketchy reports of the accident from her bed at the Wainibokasi Hospital.
She said most of the passengers on board were women and children and high seas probably capsized the Kadavulevu in seas off Gau Island.
Government authorities described the mishap as “one of the worst in Fiji’s maritime history”.
On April 3, 1964, two more survivors were found. Ten-year-old Viliame Qelo of Nasonini, Suva and 49-year-old Nina Rareba of Vatuwaqa were rescued clinging to a raft a mile and a half from Nasoata Island, where Seini was found the previous afternoon.
All day, crafts of all kinds, scoured seas between Nasilai, Beqa and Levuka. Two pilot launches, Seniceva and Na Leqa, frantically searched the area with the hope of fishing out a body that was earlier sighted by RNZAF Sunderland. Late in the evening, while search and rescue continued, the number of all missing passengers had risen to 90.
Reports said that while swimming those who survived removed coconut husk with their teeth and drank sea water to satisfy their hungry and thirsty.
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