A Ha'apai woman has died today after being rescued with 18 people, who were on board a small local ferry boat that capsized in heavy seas off Foa Island, on Wednesday afternoon.

The death of the woman aged in her 60s, was confirmed by Niu'ui Hospital at Pangai, after midday today January 28.

All 18 passengers were taken to hospital yesterday after they were rescued off the northern point of Faleloa by a man and his 15 year old son, who swam out to push the capsized boat to shore in churning white water, while the passengers clung to the sides. The upturned boat rolled as they came over the reef. Many of the passengers could not swim.

Three passengers, who were understood to have water in their lungs, were kept in hospital overnight. One has died today, while the two others were expected to be discharged soon.

According to Ha'apai sources, the boat named 'Ha'apai 13' with 18 people on board was one of two constituency boats returning to Foa Island after a funeral in Ha'ano. The other boat was reported to be carrying a local member of parliament, Veivosa Light of Day Taka and a funeral refrigerator and had arrived safely in Faleloa. The passage from Ha'ano to Faleloa usually takes under an hour.

The heavy seas were driven by a tropical depression over Fiji, moving toward Tonga this week.

Seas “extremely dangerous”

The rough weather had prompted a strong wind warning and small craft advisory from the Tonga Meteorological Office, which remained in force with the marine weather bulletin issued at 6:00am on Wednesday. Winds gusting to 30 knots with swells of 3.5 metres were forecast for Ha'apai waters yesterday.

Darren Rice, a Tongan businessman and diver, who owns the seafront Matafonua Lodge, on Foa Island, said the seas yesterday were “extremely dangerous.”

The little boat capsized in the channel off the Faleloa point mid-afternoon yesterday. The passengers were clinging to the sides of the boat about 300 metres offshore.

“The driver swam to shore to alert us. There were four other men on board but they couldn't swim. The channel is reknown for rough seas in bad weather, it's relatively shallow. I don't know why they were there. There were huge waves,” he said.

He estimated there were about seven children among the passengers. The boat was “top heavy” and there were no lifejackets on board.

After he called the police, Darren said he grabbed a rope and tied four life jackets trailing behind him and swam out to the boat with his 15-year-old son “J.J.”. They are both experienced divers who have lived in Ha'apai for 12 years.

“We are strong swimmers but I almost couldn't swim against the current,” he said. When they managed to reach the boat, there were 17 people clinging to the hull.

“A woman, who I think has now died, refused to take a life jacket. She wanted the kids to take it.”

Darren said the swimmers pushed the drifting boat toward the shore. “We were trying to steer it and push it with our fins, trying to get it through and over the reef. The boat rolled twice and I think the older lady was inside.”

Darren said he was in white water and could hardly see. “I was worried about the boat, when the wave came, the boat must have weighed about 4 tonnes filled with water. It's a miracle that nobody was hurt, I felt for sure someone was going to get crushed. It was cyclone conditions. I was also worried about my son.”

One by one, they managed to get the passengers onto the beach. “One of the guys almost drowned, he was trying to hold his daughter.”

They also suffered cuts from the reef.

After the boat was beached, Darren said all 18 people were taken to hospital by cars and an ambulance that turned up.

Darren was angry and upset today. “I'm furious,” he told Matangi Tonga, “this could have been avoided.”

- Reporting by Linny Folau and Mary Lyn Fonua.