Emotional Tongan farewell for drowned father and son

HUNDREDS of voices rose in harmony to farewell a father and son who drowned in a Manukau Harbour boating tragedy.

Seven-year-old Tino Paea-I-Muli Paasi and his dad Sosaia Paluto Paasi, 45, were farewelled in a traditional Tongan ceremony at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Auckland’s Ponsonby yesterday.

The pair drowned after the dinghy they were in with three other children capsized in cold waters near Mangere Bridge last month. The three children were hospitalised, including a 2-year-old who was admitted to Starship hos- pital in a critical condition. They had been rescued by brave members of the public and emergency services staff. Police searchers found Tino’s body around 300 metres from where the boat capsized before the specialist dive team found Sosaia’s body. Sosaia was a novice boatie. The dinghy was a present from his wife Latu.

Latu and close family members lifted their voices in heartwrenching wails over the open caskets of father and son yesterday.

Hundreds of voices in the Tongan language joined hers in a beautiful, strong chorus of hope and farewell for the pair’s ‘‘homecoming celebration’’. Mourners donned loose woven cloth mats, or kiekie, wrapped over black clothing.

The order of service listed Tino and Sosaia’s birth dates as ‘‘sunrise’’ and their death ‘‘sunset’’.

Photos depicted Sosaia’s love of club rugby, and Tino in fun island dress, a white lei around his neck.