Saimone Camaitoga, 51, had only spent a week and four days with his family before a drowning accident at sea claimed his life during a fishing trip on September 2.

Tokasa Camaitoga said her husband had been fishing in Lautoka to earn money for five months during the containment period. He later underwent a quarantine period at the Ba Provincial Freebird Institute in Lautoka from August 6 to August 20 to return to his family at Yaqeta Village, in Yasawa.

“They gave his result already before he came to the island; that’s what he said that everything was negative. He had his two jabs, and he was in quarantine in Ba Pro High school, so after two weeks, they were released, and they came over. Last Saturday it would have been two weeks with us,” she said.

She, her brother-in-law, and a young man were with her husband when the accident occurred at midday.

“He filled the benzene, after that he tried to start the engine and the boat was already on the speed gear so by the time the engine started, the boat spun around and he couldn’t get a grip and fell in the water,” she said.

“The boat didn’t capsize; only he ended up in the water. We were all in the boat and when he ended up in the water, the young man tried to save him, but there was a strong current and very rough that day.”

She said the impact from the boat spinning and catapulting her husband’s body a distance away may have caused his death.

“We were incredibly surprised when he ended up in the water. By the time we called the other boat, he was already dead in the water; by the time the young man reached him, he swam to get him, but he (Mr Camaitoga) was already floating.”

She said despite not sharing any children with her husband, he treated her two daughters from her first marriage like they were his own.

“I got my two girls and two grandkids, between us. We had a miscarriage 19 years ago and I got my two girls from my first marriage. He’s a very generous man; he was a very kind man, supportive to all his nieces and nephews and all his relatives here, he loved all his family and cared for everybody. I will really miss him, and everyone at his working place will miss him. We were both working at Turtle Island Resort, but during COVID-19 last year, we were in the village.”

COVID-19 worry

The Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Doctor James Fong however said that information received indicated that the late Mr Camaitoga had tested positive for COVID-19

“I was told that he’s positive, that’s what I’ve been told in my briefing and that’s it, the drowning was the cause of death. He accidentally fell into the water, and he died,” he said.

“They will update us today. We just heard of the death, they reported it last night (Monday) and I’m waiting for the investigation to happen, but then everyone in Yasawa is going to be contact traced on this issue.”

Police Spokesperson Wame Bautolu confirmed that the drowning death toll currently stands at 22 compared to 25 for the same period last year.

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