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At dawn on February 16, 1989, the inter-island ship Evelyn ran aground on the dangerous Nasilai Reef.
The Fiji Times reported the next day that the 17 passengers and eight crew members on board were safely evacuated by villagers from Nasile, Kiuwa and Wadray in flat-bottomed boats, with one passenger, Joji Bakoso, heroically swimming four miles of dangerous sea to Kiuwa village to seek help.
He immediately raised the alarm, and a few minutes later a fleet of small boats carrying volunteers went out to sea to carry out a rescue mission.
In less than an hour, all five female passengers and three young brothers on board were rescued to shore.
When The Fiji Times arrived at the disaster site, the Evelyn was being battered by huge waves and her stern had been breached.
Its list is terrible.
Strong waves around the reef made it difficult for the Fiji Times team to reach the boat.
When The Fiji Times arrived, passengers and villagers had already begun throwing food crops, coconuts and rubbish into the sea.
The Evelyne departed from Nalai for Suva at 10pm on February 15, carrying passengers travelling to the island to attend a funeral.
But as the ship attempted to round the Nasilai Reef at dawn, disaster struck.
Passengers interviewed by The Fiji Times said the lighthouse at Nasilai was no longer working.
Mr Bakoso said without a lighthouse, captains would not be able to safely guide their ships around the reef.
“It’s impossible, especially on a dark and cloudy morning like today,” he said.
Most of the passengers were awakened from their sleep when the ship suddenly hit a coral reef.
One of the passengers, Joji Amenatave Tuisawau, told The Fiji Times at Nasilai Village, where most passengers were resting, that the boat hit the reef without any warning.
“I was sleeping and I felt a vibration and I knew we had hit something,” he said.
“When I looked out, I saw the boat had hit the reef.”
Mr Tuisavou said powerful waves pounded the hull as the captain tried to reverse the boat back to the open sea.
“The only thing we could do was to stay still and pray the boat didn’t capsize.”
He said it was raining and dark.
“We have to wait until daybreak before we can take any action.
“The captain, Mr Varesiko Kavika, fired flares to try to attract the attention of nearby vessels.
“I had to look for life jackets for the women and children so they would be ready if the boat capsized.”
At dawn, Mr. Bakoso began to swim towards shore.
Villagers from Nasilai, Vadrai and Kiuva noticed the Evelyn on the reef and went out to sea.
Male passengers and some villagers had to form a human ladder to transfer female passengers and children to the waiting gondolas.
“The women were crying so hard.”
The Nasilai villagers prepared a feast for the passengers after they came ashore and provided them with dry clothes.
The Navy ship USS Kiro arrived later that morning to attempt to salvage the Evelyne.
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