Village hero killed by cyclone

NASEIBITU – Atunaisa Raralevu was determined to save 15 people trapped in a house at the height of Tropical Cyclone Winston at Naseibitu Village in Tailevu.

The 24-year-old farmer had already carried a woman, her three children and another girl to the safest house in the village.

Around 7pm his efforts to try and assist more people in the evacuation proved fatal, when a corrugated iron house collapsed and buried him.

“He had just returned from the house and had already saved the woman, her three children and another girl and he came to me for a hammer to try and save others – that was the last time I saw him,” said his uncle , also named Atunaisa Raralevu.

He said strong winds carried the collapsed house downhill and they found his lifeless body lying on the ground with blood gushing out from his nose, ears and eyes and mud filled his mouth.

“He was carried to a nearby house, but all efforts to try and revive him proved futile.

“He lay there the whole night and during the day on Sunday some men from the village swam across the flooded road to call police.

“Police arrived and confirmed Atunaisa’s death and when we tried to take him to the Korovou mortuary, police said that was impossible because the power was off.”

Raralevu said they informed their minister, who then conducted a sermon on Sunday, where his namesake was laid to rest.

“What hurts us the most is that he was a very good young man,” he said.

“He always listened to us and carried all church and vanua obligations without any complaining.”

Villagers said it was just unfortunate that he was not accorded a real hero’s funeral.

The Fiji Times has also told the story of eight-month-old Waseroma Rasavou who survived 14 hours in an “esky” cooler as strong winds battered the village of Nasaisaivua in Kubulau, Bua.

As Cyclone Winston damaged 19 properties including two church buildings and a hall, Waseroma lay soundly safe in the esky, covered with only a tee-shirt and the esky lid above his head, keeping him away from the flying debris.

His father put the baby in the “esky” as he spent the night seeking shelter as homes and halls were demolished, finally hunkering down in a bathroom with four other people. - PNC