Out at sea yesterday, families of the nine missing fishermen sat gazing at what once provided for them, now a place carrying fear, uncertainty and heartbreak.
Holding tightly to hope, Iosefo Baleinatuvu said he believed his 25-year-old son, Savenaca Sokini, and the eight other missing fishermen would one day be found.
Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Baleinatuvu said it was hard to accept they were gone.
He said hope was the only thing keeping the families together during this painful period, as they struggle to understand what may have gone wrong on April 22, when the men set out to sea expecting to return the following day with a big catch.
“Whether now or later, I hope we will find them,” he said.
He said finding the men, even if only to bring them home, would help give their families a sense of closure amid the heartbreak and unanswered questions.
Despite the earlier suspension of the Navy-led search, he said the families remained determined.
“On the day the Navy officers arrived to deliver the update the boat had been found, I did not know how to tell the ladies.
“All I could say was for them to stay strong in a room full of tears and worry.”
As the families endure days of emotional turmoil, Mr Baleinatuvu has told the families to continue praying for strength, comfort and answers.
