Man Wakes Brother Up An Hour Before Kasavu Death Crash

Romulus O’Brien had called his younger brother from Savusavu at 3.30am on Christmas Day to wake him up.

Little did he know that an hour later the lives of his brother Tei’Ete O’Brien, 31, and girlfriend Merewalesi Rokotuitai’s, 22, would come to an end.

The lovers were headed to Natovi to catch the ferry on their way to Savusavu when their vehicle ended up in a creek in Kasavu, outside Nausori. The vehicle was submerged in water in the Drekainakelo Creek just metres from the Rewa River.

“Ete and his girlfriend had missed the ferry from Natovi on Wednesday. They managed to get tickets for the Friday trip. He had asked me to call him and ensure that he was awake because he did not want to miss the ferry time,” Romulus O’Brien said.

“We were waiting for him. He told us he was bringing his girlfriend.”

Tei’Ete O’Brien was working in Nadi for All Tiling Limited and Merewalesi Rokotuitai was a draftsman for Clay Engineering. This was going to be his first trip back home to Vatadamu in Savusavu after more than a year.

One of the victims... Tei Ete Joe O’Brien.

Mr O’Brien arrived in Suva today. He plans to bury his younger brother on Friday. But before that he wants to meet with Merewalesi Rokotuitai’s family. He said he would seek permission to bury them together.

According to her older sister, Diyana Rokotuitai, who is in the United States, they had spoken to each other last Wednesday.

She said they discussed things as sisters, but Merewalesi, or Meme as she was known, did not give her any information that she was going to Savusavu.

She hails from Tonia Village in Tailevu. Meme stayed in Davuilevu with her cousins. Her parents were at the village and observed their Sabbath yesterday. The family is yet to reveal funeral plans.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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Read more:

• Bodies Found On Christmas, Couple Inside Partly Submerged Vehicle At Kasavu