By Linny Folau

A falling tree branch on Taufa'ahau Road hit Senior Police Constable ‘Apisai Fihaki (36), knocking him unconscious and fracturing his right ribs, while he was responding to a call for emergency evacuation during Tropical Cyclone Gita. But recovering today at his home in Ha'asini, Fihaki said that saving people’s lives was the utmost priority.

Fihaki was out on duty in the middle of the night at the height of the Category 4 cyclone.

"I was injured at Ha’ateiho near ‘Atele when a team of five officers including me, were dispatched to a call to help evacuate people whose homes were damaged in Holonga, on the eastern side of Tongatapu."

"We left the station at around midnight dressed in our safety gear and boots and trees were already uprooted and thrown on the road from Havelu up to Ha’ateiho, while tin roofs and debris were flying around," he said.

“As we were driving the wind was so strong we felt like our police van was about to be lifted up.”

He said when they got to Ha’ateiho the road was blocked with debris, trees and broken branches and they got out of the vehicle to clear the road in order to continue.

"When I went out to start helping the others clear what we could, all I remembered was that something fell on me, may be a tree branch, and knocked me out. I only regained consciousness for a short while inside the police van because I heard the siren when I was being rushed to the hospital. I then blacked out again before regaining for a little bit inside the emergency room," he said.

“I had trouble breathing and I thought this would be the last day of my life."

No regrets

He said he was never afraid to do his job.

“There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to go out there to help. What you have to understand is that when we are doing our job and responding to help people, we are not afraid of anything because people’s lives were the utmost importance to us during this time.”

While in hospital, the doctor showed him an x-ray of his fractured ribs on his right side, which has affected his movement.

Fihaki, who was discharged from hospital yesterday, February 19, is still in pain and has trouble moving. He is taking his medication and is advised by doctors, that his ribs will take up to five-weeks to heal.

"I have worked for Tonga Police for 13 years now and have on numerous occasions responded during emergencies and natural disasters, so this was not new. I also served in the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands," he said.

Response

On February 12, when Cyclone Gita hit Tongatapu, the police had started evacuating people whose houses were blown down or demolished at various locations in Nuku’alofa starting at 4:00pm, working from their base at the Central Police Station.

Fihaki said they evacuated more than 10 families to safer places, mostly LDS centers, and all police vehicles at central were dispatched to help, while some officers were tasked to keep the CBD safe, he said.

“I am thankful that I am alive but in my line of work, people’s lives were more important than mine.”

He said when they arrived to evacuate families, he saw them standing helplessly holding only the things they could carry, after the cyclone demolished their houses.

“To go out during this strong cyclone, this is my work and the oath I took to save people.”

His wife Uinise said she was only informed the next morning that her husband was lying in the hospital injured.

“I rushed there and found him in the surgical ward. I am just thankful he is alive," she said. Their two sons are proud of their father and very happy to have him home again.