17 rescued adrift at sea

SEVENTEEN people from Rai Coast in Madang have been rescued at sea after being adrift for more than two hours, according to Ramu NiCo Management Ltd.
Four children between the ages of six and 11, three mothers, three elderly men and seven young men including the skipper and his assistant were rescued by the miner’s vessel Angel.
The Madang-based nickel and cobalt miner said a dinghy ferrying 17 passengers and market goods to be sold at the Madang town market when it encountered an engine problem between Tabali and Madang.
According to the boat’s skipper, they would have drifted out into open sea if it was not for Ramu NiCo’s Angel that rescued them.
The dinghy left Warai village at 6am and was left drifting for two hours before being spotted by Ramu NiCo’s vessel at around 9am.
Angel captain Joseph Suad said they had to bring everyone on board while towing the boat back to Basamuk refinery prior to continuing their trip to Madang.
He observed that the boat was overloaded.
“The company’s two vessels, (Angel and mv Carrie) have been rescuing locals from Rai Coast who are attacked by pirates or sometimes have engine problems or are even low on fuel and would drift along the passage,” he said.
Suad said the dinghy had engine failure because one of its spark plugs malfunctioned causing the motor to stop. At Basamuk, the rescued passengers were fed before being taken to Madang the same day.
Michael Kundi, a passenger from the dinghy, said they were helpless drifting and had hoped to see other dinghies coming from Madang that day when they were spotted by the Angel. “I want to thank Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Limited for rescuing us from death situation,” he said.