Four children left without parents after river tragedy

The death of a man believed to have drowned in the Ba river on Saturday has left his four children uncertain about their future.

Qoro Ratu, 17, Kelera Ratu, 15, Amelia Ratu, 11, and Adrea Seru, 9, stood near the Ba Bridge at about 6am yesterday, calling out their father’s name in the hope he was still alive.

Their father, Gaberieli Walu Ratu, 47, had gone to the Ba River on Saturday morning to collect freshwater mussels (kai) for the family’s Sunday lunch but failed to return home.

His brother-in-law, Gabby Ramoce, fought back tears as he recalled how the children repeatedly asked: “Uncle, did dad really die? It can’t be true eh?”

The children broke down after Mr Ramoce told them their father’s body had been found.

Mr Ratu, a widower, had been raising his four children alone since his wife died two years ago.

He worked for the Water Authority of Fiji and also coached the Ba River Rugby Club.

Mr Ramoce said his brother-in-law left home at about 10am on Saturday.

At around 1pm, while attempting to cross the river with a bag of kai, he did not make it to the other side.

The children continued asking about their father yesterday morning.

“I told them we would go and search for him—they went to the bridge and called out for him,” Mr Ramoce said.

He later encouraged them to attend Easter Sunday mass and pray.

“Go and pray. After mass, we would return and continue searching,” he told them.

During the service, he received a call informing him that Mr Ratu’s body had been found.

“It broke my heart when I told them the sad news,” Mr Ramoce said.

“Just two years ago, they lost their mother—my sister—to illness. Their father carried the responsibility of raising them alone; he was both mother and father.”

“He was a devoted, cheerful and humble man, known to many as Gabby. We all miss him.”

Police said a post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the cause of death.