Niveth Boutsady, Mongkhon Wongmongkhon and Udom Roopsom died after their boat overturned on Saturday. Photo / Watyarnprateep Buddhist Temple
Niveth Boutsady, Mongkhon Wongmongkhon and Udom Roopsom died after their boat overturned on Saturday. Photo / Watyarnprateep Buddhist Temple
The Auckland Thai community is grieving after three friends who loved fishing died in a boating tragedy on the Manukau Harbour.
It's understood Niveth Boutsady, 70, of West Harbour, Mongkhon Wongmongkhon, 61, of Favona, and Udom Roopsom, 54, all enjoyed fishing and regularly visited the harbour.
The trio of friends died after their vessel overturned near the notoriously dangerous bar on Saturday afternoon. A fourth man, 23, survived and has been discharged from hospital after suffering serious injuries.
It's unclear how the group ran into trouble, and a police and Maritime New Zealand investigation is ongoing.
An inquiry has been launched by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), which is expected to take a year to complete. Two investigators arrived in Auckland yesterday to speak to witnesses, scour any footage of the incident and try to recover any wreckage.
One woman in the community, who the Herald has agreed not to name, said it's difficult because families cannot grieve together in person due to the current alert level 3 restrictions.
A maximum of 10 people can gather for funerals and tangihanga.
"We are Thai, we are Buddhist. When these things happen normally if we know them or not, we come together at the temple.
"Because of Covid-19 it's sad we can't be together. If someone passed away in our community we will be there and chant at night and the monk will do the ceremony, just like people do in church.
"Usually after the ceremony we go to the cemetery. In a situation like this, none of us apart from the family can attend.
"It's sad for all of us at the moment."
The temple has been approached for comment.
Emergency services at Little Huia after three men ran into trouble near the Manukau Bar. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Yesterday the nephew of one of the men thanked local boaties who sprung to action and helped recover the bodies.
"It couldn't have been easy, and we are sure it would've been very traumatic sight for you to see also. Thank you very much for your heroic actions and putting yourself at risk so that all our families have their bodies to say goodbye to," he wrote on Facebook.
"Please if you know of these boaties, please give them a hug on behalf of my aunty. It has been a really tough couple of days for every family involved but we are thankful that their bodies weren't left at sea to disappear."
