Four people remain missing after a boat carrying 14 passengers capsized in rough seas in Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain province on Saturday afternoon. It is the second maritime accident in the province in two months.
One person has died and nine people have been rescued following the incident.
East New Britain Provincial Police Commander Amanda Kates told Pacific Waves the boat left Kokopo Beach and was heading to the Duke of York Island on Saturday when huge swells overturned the vessel.
The boat was licensed to carry eight people but had 14 passengers on board. Not only was the boat overloaded, but it also went to sea despite weather warnings being issued before the group left Kokopo.
Search and rescue operations were launched on Sunday morning, with the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary deploying its police patrol vessel, Manning.
Kates said one of those brought to safety was a man who spent the night keeping two children afloat.
“The man was absolutely physically exhausted because he held up the 11-year-old and the little baby all night, trying to keep their heads above water.”
“He was just an absolute hero,” Kates told Pacific Waves.
The search and rescue operation is continuing for the four people still missing.
But Kates said she does not believe the East New Britain incident points to a wider boat safety problem.
She said larger vessels in the province comply with maritime safety regulations, while the main issue is the reliance on small boats for travel between the outlying islands and Kokopo.
Kates said a better inter-island transport system was needed.
“Banana boats between Kokopo and the Duke of Yorks is not the safest way to travel on a regular basis,” she said.
“We need a ferry, and we need a reliable transport system.”
Kates said the province has experienced unusually strong winds and large swells in recent months, making travel by small boats particularly challenging.
She said authorities would continue monitoring the coastline and asking other vessels to keep watch for the missing passengers.
