14-Member Family Who Took A New Year Ride On Wooden Boat Goes Missing At Sea

In a heartbreaking incident, 14 members of the same family from Solomon Island, who took a trip on their wooden boat to a nearby island, went missing on the sea. The body of one of the victims was found Tuesday.

The family, which included a mother and her three children, was on its way to a burial ceremony on New Year Day when they vanished, reported Yahoo News Australia. They set out from the town of Gizo to the Shortland Island, which is 170 km away.

Senior police official Sibere Tauroa told RNZ that two boats left Gizo Saturday and traveled alongside each other destined for the Shortland Islands.

"On their way, almost reaching the Shortland Islands they met very strong winds, the two boats then somehow separated but only one of the boats managed to navigate and arrive safely on January 2," he said.

Officers tried calling the mobile phone of a person on the boat. Though it rang, none answered it. Later, an investigation revealed that the phone was detected within the Sasamunga island.

"Villages along Sasamunga were notified of any sightings of the boat or floating objects since police received the report of it missing, but there is still no sighting of anything," Tauroa told the news outlet.

However, the fishermen discovered a partially-eaten body of a woman along with the debris of a vessel Tuesday. A wooden coffin used for burials, a gasoline tank, and a bucket were also found.

"A close relative has identified the dead body and confirmed she is one of the passengers on board the 75 horse-powered engine that has gone missing recently,” Assistant Commissioner National Operation Evelyn Thugea wrote on Facebook.

"The dead body started to decompose but a tattoo at the back and the upper left arm was still visible to identify the body," Thugea added.

The deceased has been identified as Joy Lalu, the mother of the children. Though the relationship between her and the other victims is not clear, Lalu's grandfather confirmed they were "extended family" from the same household, which is common in the Pacific islands.

"I thank everyone for your condolences and heartfelt support to the family of the deceased. With broken hearts, we say thank you," Lalu's grandfather wrote on Facebook.