21 Jul 2018

Solomons police rescue eight passengers at sea

5:54 am on 21 July 2018

The police in Solomon Islands rescued eight people at sea after their boat experienced engine troubles in bad weather.

The 21-foot boat was carrying school teachers between Savo and Ngella in Central Province in rough weather, when its engine broke down.

The provincial police commander, Superintendent Patricia Leta, says they received a callout at 6pm on Thursday and a rescue team was deployed.

The boat was found neear Bungana Island, and the passengers were safely brought to the Tulagi Police Station.

Ms Leta is asking the public to ensure their engines are properly serviced, and to not travel in bad weather.

"Do not travel during bad weather because you will be risking your life if any problem happens at sea during your trip," she said.

"Let us all work together to reduce problems happening at sea by planning our trips properly before travelling."

The police commander reminded the public of various safety provisions when boating.

These include wearing life-jackets, checking weather and sea conditions, ensuring the boat is seaworthy and not travelling with skippers who are drunk.

Superintendent Leta thanked her officers for their courage in the response, especially given the extremely bad weather on the night of the rescue.