KEY POINTS:
A grieving Wellington family says their dad was a hero after he died in the Solomons Islands tsunami yesterday in a desperate attempt to save his crippled mother.
Teangauki Toma, 53, refused to leave his mother Beima Toma when the second massive tsunami swept through his parents' small village at Gizo in the Western Provinces early yesterday morning.
Mr Toma's body was found soon after but his mother's body was still missing.
Today his daughter Teresa, 29, said while the family was grieving deeply and still trying to cope with his death, they were immensely proud of what he had done.
She said his family was the most important thing to her father and no one was surprised at the sacrifice he had made for his mother.
She said the family was in shock but they knew he would not have had it any other way when the tsunami hit.
"The one thing we keep saying over and over again is how proud (we are). He is our hero. He is our hero and so is our uncle who is critical in hospital."
First visit in 18 years
Mr Toma's eight children had shouted him his first trip to the Solomons in 18 years to see his ailing parents. The family believed then it would probably be the last time he would see them because of their failing health.
He had been with them three days when the tsunami ripped through their small village, destroying homes and driving the frightened villagers to high ground.
However, Ms Toma said her father refused to leave his mother as he told others to seek safety.
"He and his brother (Komoi Toma) took charge where they were. His brother took his father (Kenemarawa Toma) and other people in the town to higher ground while my dad took his mother. But because she can't walk, before he could get a chance to move her a second wave came in and swept them both away," she said.
Komoi and Kenemarawa Toma were both in hospital but they had had few details of their condition.
"Every time I cry and every time I think we can't believe it, I think he was our hero. It almost gives us peace in a way but we really want him back. We need him here."
She said they wanted to bring his body back to New Zealand for burial but understood the difficulties.
"We still can't grieve properly even though we know he is gone.
"Not having him here doesn't make it real for us yet."
She said the family did not have a lot of money and would ask the Government for help to bring him home.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was the family's responsibility to bring a body back to New Zealand when someone died overseas.
Mr Toma had lived in New Zealand for 34 years and for the last 16 years had been a prison officer at Wellington Prison.
- NZPA
