Refugee who had resettled in Nauru drowns along with rescuer
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Version 0 of 1. A refugee who had recently resettled on Nauru after being sent to an Australian immigration centre there drowned when he was caught in a rip, witnesses have said. A Nauruan photographer, Clint Deidenang, said local people had told him the man had been swimming off the Gabab channel. He said the waters there were “notorious for taking lives”. “The name of the channel means death,” he said. The man died on Sunday. A Nauruan citizen who was trying to rescue him died too. Deidenang said a third man who also had tried to help and who had been taken to hospital suffering from exhaustion was released from the Republic of Nauru Hospital on Monday morning. The two men who attempted the rescue did not know the man who had been swimming, Deidenang said. Nauru police have launched an investigation into the drownings, which will be the subject of a coronial inquiry. The Nauruan government has extended its sympathies to the families of the men. It added it would not be appropriate to gain “political mileage” from the tragedy. “We are devastated that we have lost a new member of our community, and applaud the bravery of those who attempted the rescue,” the president, Baron Waqa, said in a statement. “While the circumstances of the tragedy are under investigation, sadly – like in any coastal community – accidents in the water can happen. “This is no comfort for the many families that have been impacted by this incident. However, we do hope that everyone acknowledges the accidental nature of this and does not attempt to gain political mileage from such a tragic event.” The Australian immigration minister, Scott Morrison, said in a statement on Sunday that the government extended sympathies to the families and friends of both the drowned men, and that it was a matter for the government of Nauru. |