Published on Matangi Tonga (https://matangitonga.to)

Home > Ashika Memorial at sea (Part three)

Ashika Memorial at sea (Part three) [1]

Ha'apai, Tonga

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 23:15.  Updated on Thursday, May 29, 2014 - 09:38.

Part Three: Photos by Linny Folau on the MV Pulupaki and Pesi Fonua on the VOEA Pangai.

On August 25, 2009 a flotilla of vessels carrying about 500 mourners gathered in Ha'apai waters, around a point where four orange buoys floated in the water marking the last position of the MV Princess Ashika. They held a memorial and mass funeral ceremony at sea for the 74 people who were lost when the inter-island ferry sank on August 5.

The sisters and brother of lost passenger Manase Mavae (38) of Tu'anuku, Vv, and Vaini.



Ko e ta 'o e pekia, ko Sitiueti Fa'asolo mei Fungamisi, Vava'u.



Bereaved families board the MV Pulupaki.



The Tonga Navy forms a guard of honour for a memorial stone, that is released into the sea at the Ashika wreck site.



Grieving mother, Mele Tufui Vea, lost her son Manukeu Kaulala (36), his wife Losaline (34) and their two daughters Fe'ofa'aki (6) and Hikifo'ou (3) of Pahu.

 


 

The family of lost passenger, Salesi Havili Kaufusi (26) of Ha'ateiho.

 


 

Mourners tie their funeral koloa to a car wheel rim, to send it to the seabed.

 


 

Mourners from Ha'apai, at the wreck site 11 nautical miles south west of Nomuka island.

 


 

Two TDS patrol boats carried mourners from Nuku'alofa.



Boats from Ha'apai join the memorial service at the Ashika wreck site.



Tongan Police Cmdr Chris Kelley (right) headed Operation Ashika, with Chief Inspector Sokopeti To'ia, information officer.

 


 

A final salute.

 


 


 


 


 


 














 


 


 


 








 


 


 

See more pictures at:

Part One: Mass burial at sea for Ashika victims [2]

Part Two More photos of Ashika Memorial at sea [3]

See also: Tributes celebrate lives lost at sea [4]

MV Princess Ashika [5]
Tonga ferry sinking [6]
Ha'apai [7]
Outer Islands [8]

This content contains images that have not been displayed in print view.

Source URL:https://matangitonga.to/2009/08/26/ashika-memorial-sea-part-three

Links
[1] https://matangitonga.to/2009/08/26/ashika-memorial-sea-part-three [2] https://matangitonga.to/2009/08/26/mass-burial-sea-ashika-victims [3] https://matangitonga.to/2009/09/09/young-mother-died-after-stabbing-court-told [4] https://matangitonga.to/home/ads/ashika/ashika_tribute/index.html [5] https://matangitonga.to/tag/mv-princess-ashika?page=1 [6] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tonga-ferry-sinking?page=1 [7] https://matangitonga.to/tag/haapai?page=1 [8] https://matangitonga.to/topic/outer-islands?page=1