BY Mavis Podokolo
SOLOMON Islands Maritime Safety Association Chief Maritime Officer Mr Peter Young Daouma is one of the assistance officers deployed in the Kiribati Search party.
He left Honiara on board Orion Aircraft with other search personnel from Australia.
Acting Director of SIMSA Captain Tim Harris said officer Daouma was deployed to add extra resources to the operation.
He said the aerial search operation was not able to spot luck and Mr Daouma has returned to Honiara.
Harris explained that the manpower support was decided due to lack of rescue resources available during the unexpected situations.
He said Kiribati had requested assistance from Australia and that Solomon Islands was pleased to render some support.
The ferry, the MV Butiraoi, departed on January 18 bound for the main island of Tarawa, a journey that should have taken about two days, when the tragic incident occurred.
Reports say that most of the passengers were kids who were on their way to begin their academic year in Tarawa.
