Fishing crew flee ‘horrific incident’
A beheading may have been the “horrific incident” that prompted six crewmen to jump from a fishing vessel this week.
The Fiji Times reported that local authorities were investigating claims of an alleged beheading on board the Fijian-flagged FV TIRO II.
Navy commander Captain Humphrey Tawake told the newspaper authorities would reveal more in due time.
“The vessel’s crew are Chinese, Indonesian and Fijian nationals and we are aware of the allegations that a Fijian national had beheaded a second Fijian national following a heated argument,” he said.
Fijian authorities yesterday released dramatic photos of the moment a crewman was saved after fleeing the fishing boat.
As members of the Fijian Navy pull the life-raft closer to their ship, the man is pictured wearing just a pair of shorts.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force was called to help in the search for the missing crew members.
The aircrew on a P3 Orion aircraft found the fishing vessel about 170km west of the island nation.
A Royal NZ Air Force spokesman told the Herald on Friday they too were told of an alleged violent incident onboard.
“The boat crew reported that on Monday night, six crew members abandoned the vessel. One person was aboard a life-raft, the other five entering the water without lifejackets.”
The Kiwi aircrew searched for the life-raft, which they found afterwards, and alerted Fijian authorities, who sent a vessel to pick up the man.
The Rescue Co-ordination Centre Fiji said another two crewmen who stayed on the fishing vessel were picked up by another fishing vessel in the area.
Authorities are working to get those two crew members to police for questioning.
The TIRO II is said to have sunk Friday morning after taking on water the previous night.
“Information regarding what transpired onboard will be investigated by the police,” the Fijian co-ordination centre said.
“The survivors will be taken in for questioning after being cleared by health officials.”