Boat owner charged after three died sea

A BOAT operator has been charged with causing the death at sea of two children and a teenager when the boat he was in charge of capsized near Pityluh island in Manus, according to police.
Provincial police commander Chief Inspector David Yapu said Morgan Pota, 24, was charged with three counts of operating a small craft in a careless manner resulting in the death of the children. He is expected to appear in the District Court in Lorengau this week.
“The bodies of a 17-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy were recovered at Mokereng village on March 15 and 16. The body of a four-year-old was recovered on March 16 at the Lombrum naval base.”
Yapu said it was the first time someone was being charged under the Small Craft Act which came into effect in 2011.
“There has been lot of criticism leveled against the Manus provincial government, administration and police for not dealing with past boat mishaps and people going missing at sea,” he said. “This is the start for us implementing the Small Craft Act.”
He warned boat operators and owners to follow the law and not overload their vessels.