Shark Attack

Divers end hunt for co-worker
Thursday, February 18, 2010

DIVERS have abandoned the search for a fellow diver, Henry Usimewa, who is believed to have been the latest victim of a shark attack in Yadua waters, off Bua on Monday morning.

Members of his family who rushed to Yadua upon hearing of the tragedy returned home without his body.

Mr Usimewa, a 19-year-old had been diving for three years with High San Trading.

Manager for the company's base on Yadua Island, Josevata Buliyawa, said the search was called off after two days and night.

"We used two boats and about 10 divers to look for him from the spot where he disappeared but turned up nothing," he said.

"Immediately after he disappeared his diving equipment was recovered and a sack which he used to collect sucuwalu (beche-de-mer)."

He was part of a group of seven divers aboard the Grace Three diving for beche-de-mer near Nara Reef when he disappeared.

Captain Kaukau Corrie said they watched Mr Usimewa try to fight off an unseen creature before he was dragged beneath the waves, never to be seen again.

He said when they rushed to his aid less than a minute later, Mr Usimewa had disappeared.

"He was gone and all that was left behind was his diving gear," he said.

The divers returned to Labasa yesterday after calling off the search.

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=140213

DIVERS are combing Yadua waters in Bua for a comrade believed to be the victim of a shark attack.---


Terror in the deep
Theresa Ralogaivau
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

DIVERS are combing Yadua waters in Bua for a comrade believed to be the victim of a shark attack.

Captain Kaukau Corrie said they watched helplessly as fellow diver, Henry Usimewa, 19, struggled and fought off an unseen creature before he was dragged beneath the waves.

Mr Corrie said when they rushed to his aid less than half a minute later, Mr Usimewa was nowhere to be seen.

"He was gone and all that was left behind was his diving gear," he said.

"The boys dived in to look for him ... we are still looking."

Police spokesman Inspector Atunaisa Sokomuri confirmed that a report was lodged at the Nabouwalu Police Station on Monday afternoon.

Mr Usimewa, of Tabwewa Village in Rabi, was part of a group of seven divers working for High San Trading aboard the Grace Three. They dove for sucuwalu or beach-de-mer near Nara Reef, which is an hour's boat ride from Yadua Island.

Four divers including the deceased were in the sea at the time of the attack.

"Around 9.30am we spotted him surface about 15 metres from the boat," said Capt Corrie. "I can still hear his screams as he fought off something that pulled him under. It was terrifying.

"He was wearing his diving jacket but was pulled clean from it.

"We looked whole day and whole of Tuesday but we couldn't find him except for his diving gear and sack of sucuwalu.

"We saw that his regulator hose had been bitten off. We are horrified and scared to dive in this area."

The company's Yadua camp manager, Josevata Buliyama, said that another beche-de-mer diver from Raviravi Village in Macuata disappeared in the same area two years ago, and only his diving gear was recovered.

The search for Mr Usimewa is expected to be called off today.


http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=140128