Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ [2004-09-11: list updated for new site] _______________________________________________ > We have 6 guests online > February 19, 2005 - Keeping You In Touch > POLYNESIAN FLIGHTS RE-SCHEDULED > Polynesian Airlines cancelled its previous Friday's flight to > Niue. The airline is re-scheduling flights after being unable > to provide services to Apia during the week because of Cyclone > Olaf. Flights resume Monday February 22 with Polynesian > Airlines flight PH721 from Niue to Auckland.Disrupted > passengers expected to travel from Auckland to Niue today will > now arrive on Monday February 22 via Apia. The weather on Niue > is abating and a damaging swell warning for eastern coastal > areas of the island is cancelled. > > Niue Donates Taro To Cooks > > Niue has donated a container of taro to the Cook Islands > following damage to crops by Cyclone Nancy. The MV Southern > Express called at Niue first up this month to escape the high > seas caused by the hurricane force winds last week.Weatherwise > on Niue this weekend, a convergence zone lies slow moving > northeast of Niue. Moderate to fresh southwesterly winds > gradually easing are predicted and it will be fine apart from > a few brief showers > > Search For Fishermen Suspended > > The search for two remaining crew members missing since a > fishing vessel sank north of Samoa last > Wednesday during cyclone Olaf has been suspended, the > Rescue Coordination Centre said today. > RCCNZ Mission Controller, John Dickson, said that a > New Zealand Air Force Orion and a local vessel had > carried out an extensive search over an area of some > 650 square kilometres northeast of Western Samoa > during the last three days. > [date.gif] Sunday, 20 February 2005 > Am. Samoa Village Hardest Hit > The village of Fitiuta on Tau island in the Manu'a Group of > American Samoa appears to have suffered the most damage from > Cyclone Olaf. > This is according to the first travellers from Tutuila to land > in Manua when Inter Island Air resumed flights to the islands. > The airlines Director of Operations, Vili Lomaloma, piloted > the first flight after the cyclone. > He says the storm felled all but a handful of buildings in > Fitiuta village. > Samoa, Polynesian Airlines is catchiung up on its schedule and > has had to abandon its flight from Auckland to Niue Friday. > Passengers will arrive via Apia on Monday.The airline could ot > use Faleolo Airport in Samoa during Cyclone Olaf. Air New > Zealands Samoa office says a couple of flights to Auckland and > from Los Angeles were delayed in the past two days but the > services have been resumed. > > Four Strip To Survive Ocean Horror > > Four naked Samoan fishermen clung to debris from their sunken > boat in huge seas for 24 hours before being spotted by the > Royal New Zealand Air Force. > The men, who had no lifejackets, stripped off their clothing > to help stay afloat. > New Zealand Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokeswoman Heidi > Brook called it an amazing survival story that had emerged > from the biggest sea rescue undertaken by the centre in the > Pacific. > "They were in the sea about 24 hours battling 15m-high swells > and winds gusting to 190km/h. But at least the sea temperature > was 29 degrees, it's not like it was the Atlantic." > An Air Force Orion dropped a dinghy to the men at 5pm on > Thursday, and they were later picked up by boat. > The air search was continuing northeast of Samoa last night > for another two of the crew, still missing after Cyclone Olaf > struck. > Ms Brook said 23 of 25 fishermen had now been plucked from > liferafts or stricken boats in the international rescue > effort. > > New Zealand's search and rescue area extended as far north as > the Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga. > Another fishing boat was found yesterday with six people safe > on board by a US Coastguard Hercules aircraft. The boat, > Samoan Boy, was last heard from two days ago when the crew > reported they were in Olaf's path. > Rescue centre mission co-ordinator John Dickson said waves had > pounded the wheelhouse during the storm and windows were > broken. > The vessel had been dead in the water and the crew unable to > communicate with anyone. > The American Hercules found the boat at 2.45pm, about 168km > northeast of American Samoa. > "We're now contacting the nearest vessel in the area to assist > with towing her to safety." > On Thursday night a commercial vessel reached an > American-registered fishing boat, Princess Karlina, which was > disabled east of American Samoa. > The rescue vessel helped the Princess Karlina get going and it > was heading back to Samoa. > The vessel Malinda had, meanwhile, reached a fishing boat with > three injured crew and was towing it back to Apia. > Cyclone Olaf was starting to weaken and head away from the > southern Cook Islands group where, to the relief of locals > already battered by Cyclones Meena and Nancy, it never got > close enough to cause serious damage. > The MetService said yesterday that Olaf was passing 500km > north-west of Rarotonga on a southeasterly track away from the > southern Cooks. > > > Last Updated ( Saturday, 19 February 2005 ) > 29684 Visitors
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