Sea cucumber diver dies near Leleka [1]
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 - 10:05. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
A 54-year-old man died from decompression after diving for sea cucumbers near the island of Leleka in Ha'apai on the late afternoon of Thursday, September 1.
Police confirmed yesterday that the deceased from Ngele'ia in Tongatapu died shortly after surfacing from diving. Two fishermen who accompanied him rushed the deceased to Nomuka.
His body has since been transported on the MV Pulupaki ferry to Tongatapu and medical authorities at Vaiola Hospital in Nuku'alofa indicated that the cause of death was due to decompression sickness.
An inquest into the death will be conducted today while police continue a further investigation into the use of decompressed gas diving in sea cucumber fishing.
Road death
Police reported a road death at the weekend. On the night of Saturday September 3 a 21-year-old woman from Fanga died in an accident on Vuna Road.
Further information released by police yesterday stated that the vehicle a Toyota Prado was travelling in an easterly direction on Vuna Road with the 20-year-old male driver and two female passengers. The deceased was sitting in the backseat.
The vehicle crashed onto a power post and a tree resulting in the deceased passenger being thrown out of the vehicle at around 11:30pm and she died an hour later after being rushed to Vaiola Hospital.
The driver who is charged with causing death while driving under the influence of alcohol was to appear at the Magistrate's Court on September 6.
This brings the number of road deaths in Tonga to six. In 2010 there was a total of six road deaths for the whole year.
Crime report
Meanwhile, crimes reported during the week from August 29 to September 4 increased to 46 criminal offences compared to the 39 crimes reported the previous week in Tonga.
Theft was the most reported crime with 15 offences followed by 13 housebreaks, 11 assaults, two unlawful entries into a building, one wilful damage to property and other minor offences.