By Martha Taumata Faavae
Tragedy struck recently when two people drowned and one is still missing at sea last week in a fishing trip that did not end well because of rough weather.
Wet turbulent weather at this time of the year is unusual and the Met Office has been keeping the public aware with weather reports and safety warnings of the risks.
Head of the Met Office and Assistant CEO of MNRE, Mulipola Ausitalia Titimaea, urged the public to check with the radio or any other medium for reports in bad weather.
“We’re been getting a lot of phone calls lately from families who wanted to either go fishing or swim and they want to know of the weather,” Mulipola replied when asked by Newsline Samoa.
The ACEO is concerned that the current weather conditions are not safe for any of these things the families are calling in for information.
Heavy swells and high tides are the major worries for anyone venturing out to sea at this time and the warnings are repeated regularly during weather reports.
“We try to keep our reports and forecasts as simple as possible to make it easier for the public to understand and to take serious note.
“The problem is there are some people who give it little regard for their own safety and of the others in a family or group situation.”
Mulipola cannot stress enough the adage of ‘ better safe than sorry’ for general public safety.
The Mulinu’u Met. Office has been putting out special warning bulletins recently to public update the public on the irregular turn in the weather lately for the poor.
Climate changes are mostly responsible for the unusual weather that has disrupted the normal patterns the public is used to throughout the year.
Low lying island countries are under a lot of threat from the damaging effects of these changes in the climate.
The recent tragedy at Neiafu, Savai’i, resulted in the death of two brothers, 12 and 18 years old who drowned while fishing.
The brothers and a cousin were fishing on lava rocks at the village coastal front when the younger brother was caught and dragged into the sea by a crashing wave.
The older brother jumped in to rescue but ended up drowned as well in rough seas.
The father rushed from home after the boys cousin informed him and his body has not been seen since his attempted rescue effort.
Police divers were brought in to search for the father’s body but were unsuccessful.