A woman died as a result of defying warnings during Tropical Cyclone Winston.

Her sister, Lisi Diseva, says she still misses her.

Speaking at the thanksgiving and memorial service at Albert Park yesterday, Ms Diseva said: “Lusiana Marama Tagi was always active, a great weaver with a caring heart and was always strict with her household law of leaving no chores undone for tomorrow.”

Ms Diseva said it was that very household law that killed her in the end as she worked feverishly to complete a mat she was weaving.

Even when the winds picked up strength and the rising waters surrounded her home, she kept weaving.

“I went to her around 9am in the morning as the winds began to ravage the island and told her to move.

“She turned, took one look at me and she and went back to her weaving. If only she had listened to me, she would be alive today,” she said.

Later, in full view of those who had left for the safety of higher grounds, the first tidal wave struck her house from one end and took her through to the other side.

“From 11am till the waves subsided around 6pm in the evening, she floated back and forth, but was still alive.”

She said at times her sister would be dragged out to the deep waters and reappeared again when the waves returned.

“By the time we were able to reach her, she had two deep wounds on her leg and was bleeding heavily.

She endured the pain for the next two days as her sister treated her wounds with herbs until she was airlifted from Koro to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital the next Tuesday.

She lived for another 15 days until she died from the infections to her wound.

“On the last day as I held her hand, she entrusted me the household items that were no longer there, even her Pandanus plantation and the mats she never got to complete.”

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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