The family of a Cook Islands fisherman found alive by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) after a week lost at sea say they are overwhelmed with relief and gratitude.
By Penny Smith of RNZ
Pone Apiuta, 42, from the remote Pukapuka Island, disappeared after going fishing on June 11 alongside several other local fishermen.
The crew of an RNZAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane found Apiuta on Thursday morning.
He was then rescued by a Taiwanese fishing vessel, which is currently in the Samoa region.
His uncle Kirianu Nio said Apiuta was able to speak to his partner and teenage son by phone from the Taiwanese boat on Thursday night.
"He was very tired and exhausted, but he was assuring them on a positive note that he's alive," Nio said.
One week adrift
According to Nio, four small boats went out fishing last Thursday and three returned safely.
The following morning, local search efforts for Apiuta began, with a ferry carrying around 20 men searching waters around the island despite difficult weather conditions.
"There was quite a strong wind, and there was a warning relayed from Rarotonga," Nio said.
"They didn't actually go that far that morning."
A local airline also conducted an aerial search around the island, but no sign of the missing fisherman was found.
A second search mission was later authorised and carried out by the island's ferry, while New Zealand search assets were also deployed.
The breakthrough came when Apiuta was eventually located by the New Zealand Air Force before being rescued by a Taiwanese fishing vessel in waters near Samoa on Thursday morning.
From anxiety to celebration
For much of the week, hope and fear coexisted across the Pukapuka Island community as residents waited for news.
"We were just hoping that good news would come out," Nio said.
"There were mixed feelings, especially among the fishermen."
Now, with confirmation that Apiuta survived the ordeal, those fears have given way to relief.
"There is quite an overwhelming joy around the island and the family," Nio said.
"We had a prayer of appreciation, and the whole island is anticipating his return."
Nio said Apiuta's partner was overwhelmed by the news, while preparations were already being discussed for celebrations when he eventually returned home.
While expressing deep appreciation for the efforts that led to Pone's rescue, Nio was critical of what he described as shortcomings in the local emergency response.
"We are so grateful," he said
However, he said family members had concerns about the speed of the response after the fisherman was reported missing.
For his family, the news came amid confusion over how information was communicated.
Nio said relatives first learned of the sighting through a Facebook post shared among family members in New Zealand, rather than through official channels.
"There was a little bit of confusion there," he said.
Police later confirmed the sighting after receiving information from authorities in Rarotonga.
"I made a comment about the slackness from our own emergency team and the response to this emergency call," Nio said.
Nio said the family wanted to publicly thank New Zealand authorities for their involvement.
"On behalf of the family, the partner and all our families here, we are very much appreciative of what they have done."
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