Survivor: I heard people crying for help

By LESLIE OMARO
A SURVIVOR has recalled how he saw and heard people screaming for help when he jumped off the sinking mv Rabaul Queen on the morning of Feb 2.
Twenty-five-year-old Jethro  Manuka from Buka told the lawyer assisting the commission Mal Varitimos that when he jumped off the sinking ship, he heard people shouting and screaming for help.
Manuka said the people crying for help were the ones that could not swim to a life raft.
“I jumped out without any life jackets on and saw that nobody too had life jackets on,’’ he said.
“I saw a life raft and swam to it which had 20 people in it.”
The commission of inquiry headed by judge Andrew Warwick started its Lae hearing yesterday at the International Hotel.
Manuka, a second-year business management student at the University of Technology, and Vitalis Tapas, a first-year catering and hospitality student from Malahang Technical School, gave evidence yesterday afternoon.
They were among seven people who appeared before the commission to give evidence.
Manuka told the commission of how he helped a mother he did not even know, feed her four-month-old baby who was very weak.
He told Varitimos that was the last time he saw the mother and baby.
Manuka said the ship was crowded with people sitting on the floor and there was not enough space to even stretch their legs.
He also told of how he had to pay double fare and was bullied by security guards to pay an adult fare from Buka to Rabaul after he had already paid for the student fare of K180.
He told Varitimos there were no safety instructions given by the crew to the passengers.
Vitalis Tapas, 21, from Baliwan in Manus and Bali in West New Britain told Varitimos that passengers were standing shoulder to shoulder and sitting on the floors with their knees up.
Tapas who was the last witness to give evidence also gave an affidavit to the commission.
Tapas with the help of an interpreter recommended to the commission to recognise the survivors who saved other passengers.
Rolando Lamparero, vice-president of RD Fishing Ltd also gave evidence.