Lost at Sea - Meke Tukuafu

Paea (Meke) Tukuafu 1977

Our friend Meke came to family home evening with the senior missionary couples to tell his remarkable story of being lost at sea for 16 days! Details were also taken from the book Taratai II written by James Siers, captain of the ship. This adventure took place on a journey from Tonga to Rarotonga, 700 miles east. Meke (whose real name is Paea) was age 20. He was a professional fisherman on a Tongan long-line ship and had been sailing for 2 years; he was a confident sailor.

 

Aug 8, 1977, 6 weeks into the voyage, Taratai II was hit by a very big wave. The float fell into the trough. As it was righting, another big wave caught it. The canoe flipped on its side, the outrigger float broken off, the mast smashed, and the big waves kept coming.

Paea went below to find Conrad, 10-year-old boy. If he had not been able to get Conrad, the boy would have perished. The life raft had broken free of the boat when the beams had broken underneath. Within seconds it would be out of reach. Paea and Rob dove into the sea, swam to the life raft and drug it back to the canoe. The rescue beacon was found and placed in the life raft. The radio responded at first, then went dead. They made the life raft ready…pulled the inflation cord, loaded 36 liters of water, biscuits, a dozen cans of corned beef, 18 cans of mackerel, and essential navigation gear. They agreed they should sleep in the raft and decide in the morning what to do. In the morning, the crew decided to abandon Taratai II and go on with the life raft. They felt they would drift more quickly back to Niue, about 200 miles, on the life raft than they would on the stricken hull. They thought they would reach Niue in a couple days.

There were 7 in a rubber life raft. Waves roared and crashed around them. Strong wind whipped, seas roared in the black night; the sea was confused. Squalls tore at the canopy. Huge waves towered above them.

Food and water were rationed, 115 mL water per day, 2 cabin biscuits per person, 1 can of corned beef or mackerel and 1 milk biscuit each. There was barely room for the 6 men and one boy. They slept with legs bent, no room to stretch. There was always water on the floor. They sat in water to their waist. Skin split on lower back and buttocks…salt water burns. 

Each morning started with prayer and a devotional and the evening closed with the same. “The lotu, or prayer, has become one of the most cherished parts of the day as it fills us with hope and faith. It makes us feel that we will be blessed with appropriate winds to speed our deliverance.”

Aug 15 about 8 pm, we realized water was rushing in. “A hole!” yelled Paea. He stemmed the flow with his hand. They knew the hole had ripped without cause. “We are on borrowed time.” They used bandages from the first-aid kit to plug the hole. They found a new hole, then another. They kept plugging them with bandages.  “We can last a long time if we have a floor. Without it, we are at the mercy of the big fish below. If they don’t get us, exposure to the cold will.”

Aug 16 , we revised provisions: one cabin bread biscuit, one large spoon of mackerel, 115 mL of water daily. Water plugs held but there was seepage. 

Aug 19, an airplane was heard. They got the beacon out. The plane was flying low. There were thick clouds. The plane did not see them and did not respond to the beacon signal.

Aug 20, the floor opened again. Water rushed into the raft. 3 new holes. They bailed continuously. Another plane flew overhead. It also did not pick up the beacon.

Aug 21, water missing in morning – 4L. They appointed 2 men to be keepers of the water. Water is most precious. "By taking a little, we can survive a long time. When it is gone, we are dead."

Aug 22, men were losing hope. Fia told them that if they were not rescued, he would be dead in 2 days. Others felt they would not be strong enough to fight through surf or drag themselves over coral reefs. Sharks and barracudas abound. One morning, they looked out the canopy to see a large shark! It continued to follow the raft. As they were settling to sleep at 8 pm, it happened. “Listen, I can hear a ship’s engine.”

They sent up a parachute flare which seemed to light the whole sky. A ship passed about 2 miles away, and now was about 4 miles away. Had they seen the flare? It seemed to turn and head toward them. The ship blew its horn. The ship was coming! The boat pulled aside, they grabbed the rope. One by one the men painfully scrambled onto the ship. All survived.

Paea (Meke) Tukuafu, 2019

The boat was Chilean. Liter upon liter of fruit juice was given the survivors. Fia called for prayer. "We must thank God for our deliverance." By 10 pm, they were at Alofi, Niue. Hearing by radio of the rescue, a huge crowd awaited them. Ambulance took them to the hospital. Upon clearance, crew members were taken into local homes.  Since the crew had lost all their clothes and only had what they wore, the Niue people took up a collection and provided clothing. One old man walked 16 km to bring a shirt. They too were fishermen and knew the anger of the sea. They were happy to help these who had survived so long at sea.                   
      Believe in Miracles ,  Hope is never Lost.

                            Jeffrey R Holland