2023-10-26 13:02:36
Two fishermen disappeared at sea off the island of Wallis and Futuna, in the Pacific Ocean, on October 1. A support committee has since been created to find them after the authorities have stopped the search.
For more than three weeks, around ten volunteers have been taking turns and continuing the search. “We contacted neighboring countries, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tuvalu,” explains Mathieu Fraisse, close to the missing, to AFP. There are also plans to finance new aerial overflights. » A petition launched to request the resumption of official searches has already collected 23,000 signatures, even though the archipelago has only 11,600 inhabitants.
Unfavorable conditions for research
The last contact with the two missing people, aged 46 and 37, was on October 1, at 5:45 p.m. They then reported by radio an engine failure and indicated that they were located 7 km north of the lagoon of Wallis Island, on the high seas. In the absence of an Operational Surveillance and Rescue Center (COSS), it was the prefecture of Wallis and Futuna which is responsible for relief operations.
“In view of the bad weather conditions, the size of the boat which is not made for the high seas, and after a final overflight on October 5, we decided to interrupt the search,” explained the prefect of Wallis and Futuna, Blaise Gourtay. He believes that “there is now no chance of finding the missing alive”.
Research stopped “too soon”
A first voluntary fishing boat was mobilized the same evening, according to the prefect. “We activated the Nouméa COSS, which dispatched a Falcon Gardian from the armed forces of New Caledonia to the site,” continues Blaire Gourtay. He was able to carry out reconnaissance on Tuesday October 2 in the morning. »
The following days, a New Zealand army plane, an aircraft from the Aircalin company and several fishing boats were also mobilized. According to Mathieu Fraisse, the searches stopped after 96 hours. “It’s too early, according to him. Christophe and Pierre know the sea and are well equipped. We think they are drifting. According to our calculations, they could be in Tuvalu. »
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