Victim named in Fotua Beach drowning tragedy [1]
Friday, December 16, 2016 - 18:15
Sioseti Koluse (30s) drowned on Wednesday, December 14 when he tried to save a Taniela Poasi (13), who was being sucked into a hole on a fringing reef, while swimming at Fotua Beach in Kala’au, Tongatapu.
The tragedy happened at 5:10pm when the Youth members of the LDS Church in Te'ekiu were at the beach for an end of the year camping and fishing trip.
The victim from Te'ekiu is reported to have jumped into the sea when he noticed the boy was being sucked into the hole in the fringing reef, approximately 80-100 meters from land. He managed to get a hold of Taniela and tried to get them back over the reef but the current was too strong.
They crashed into the reef rocks and he lost his grip on the boy before both were swept out to the open sea.
Police said the boy was rescued with another man who went in to help, and the victim's body had been recovered.