17 rescued in open sea

By MICHAEL PHILIP
SEVENTEEN passengers on a speedboat were all rescued after it capsized and sank on a run between Kokopo and the Duke of York Islands in East New Britain on Christmas Eve.
The eight-seater boat was allegedly carrying 17 passengers and cargo, according to an eyewitness.
The passengers were from Karawara village in Duke of York.
The passengers were rescued by another boat travelling the same route.
Karawara ward councillor Corey Eron said the accident happened at 3.15pm in deep sea between the island and the East New Britain mainland.
“It’s the festive season so families want to enjoy Christmas and our route has been busy since last week and despite the weather, they’re still transporting passengers,” he said. “Last Friday, the boat, known as Mangi Ples, capsized while on its way back from Kokopo due to overloading of passengers and cargo.
“The passengers had no chance to call for help because their mobile phones had gone, but were lucky because we arrived at the scene 10 minutes after the boat sink,” Eron said.
He said among the rescued passengers were three children aged two, five and nine.
All rescued passengers were treated at the island’s community clinic.
Eron urged the provincial office of the National Maritime Authority to conduct awareness on small craft safety.
He urged other State agencies such as the police to be involved in the effort so travellers and boat operators could adhere to safety regulations and practices when travelling.