Kaya Selby
RNZ Pacific journalist
Questions are swirling over
how a boat carrying Anglican Church delegates, including New
Zealanders, capsized in stormy waters in Tonga.
Last
Friday, Anglican members from New Zealand and throughout
Polynesia wrapped up their annual general synod in
Nuku’alofa.
A group decided to go whale-watching,
chartering two boats and setting off from Nuku’alofa shores
in the early afternoon, before one capsized and sank as it
attempted to turn around.
Sources have told RNZ
Pacific that the 13 passengers on board ended up stuck in
the water for nearly half an hour, many without lifejackets,
waiting for the other boat to pick them up. A nearby third
boat came shortly after.
It has been confirmed there
were no injuries, despite many hospitalisations, and most of
the New Zealand delegation are home safe.
Archbishop
Justin Duckworth described this as “miraculous”.
“We
were blessed that we had an EMT member on the other boat
that did nott sink … and that person, along with the staff
of the boats, were incredibly active in the rescues,” he
said.
“They leaped into action and we are thankful for
their active rescue on the day.”
However, Duckworth
confirmed that Tongan authorities were absent from the
rescue efforts, and he was unsure whether police had ever
made contact with any of the passengers.
“My
understanding is that the Tongan authorities will be looking
into it.”
A trip gone wrong
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It is understood
the boat was beset with water about an hour out from land.
It had become stranded after running out of diesel. Heavy
swells caused a wave that swamped the boat and forceably
turned it.
RNZ Pacific has learned, from separate
sources with loved ones on the water, that some passengers
were forced to break out through a hatch on the side of the
forward cabin as it flooded.
The sources said there
was a three-month old baby on board, among several
passengers, who could not swim.
“Some of those stories
are pretty challenging stories,” Duckworth said.
“We
did our best to support our people so that they can walk
into the future having gone through an incredibly
challenging incident.”
It has been alleged there was
no emergency briefing before departure, and that lifejackets
were not accessible in the critical moments, so many
passengers were in the water without one.
Once the
other charter picked them up, a third boat was radioed in,
and a group of paramedics from New South Wales were awaiting
the party on shore. They had been staying at the Tanoa Hotel
alongside the delegates.
“We returned to the hotel,
(and) they helped us to manage the incident appropriately
from the moment.” Duckworth said.
A number of
delegates, in shock, were taken to a nearby hospital, but
were shortly discharged.
Charter boats not
licensed
Tonga’s Tourism Ministry revealed on Monday
that the Church had used a charter boat service that had
never been licensed or authorised by the government for
whale-watching trips.
The ministry said it had a
specific register and that those business report back
regularly, and would have a means to contact authorities if
something went wrong.
“All registered vessels
operating … on 21 August 2026 returned safely to their
respective harbours,” the statement read.
“The
Ministry is continuing to assess the informatiion available
and will take appropriate compliance action within it’s
mandate, where necessary.”
It said the recent incident
should not be taken as representative of Tonga’s licensed
whale-watching and wwimming
industry.
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