Missing captain’s relatives want a memorial service

By ELLEN TIAMU
THE family of a Rabaul Shipping captain who is still missing after the ferry tragedy off Finschhafen in Morobe is calling on the shipping company’s owner, Peter Sharp, to conduct a memorial service at the site where the boat went down 13 days ago.
Pius Salle, 60, from Dagua in East Sepik, captained of one of mv Rabaul Queen’s sister vessels, Kopra 1, and was on his way home on annual leave after a year based in the islands.
His son, Daniel Salle, said survivors had told of last seeing his father in the wheelhouse trying to steer the boat when it went down.
Surviving crew members have also told the family that they called out for him to leave the boat with them but he did not heed their call and remained.
Salle said it has been over a week since the mv Rabaul Queen sank and hopes of finding their father alive is fading.
“Mipela laikim bai ol i painim bodi na bai mipela ken planim na pilim orait tasol i luk olsem bai nogat nau (we would have loved for his body to be found so that we can give him a proper burial but it seems this won’t happen),” he said.
He said the next best thing would be for the ship owner to organise a memorial service at the site where the boat sank so they could least have some comfort and closure.
Salle said his father was on annual leave and the company should have provided him with an airline ticket to Lae instead of sea travel.
The family also thanks the government for its assistance and commitment.  
The heavily-laden mv Rabaul Queen was hit by bad weather and rough seas during its journey from Kimbe to Lae and sank with over 350 people on board.
Six bodies have been recovered and 240 people were rescued with more than 100 still missing.