He said he had swum towards Aiwa Island to get mobile phone reception, leaving the other six team members in the water, uninjured and wearing life jackets.
The Fiji Police Force, the Fiji Navy Rescue Co-ordinating Centre, the Office of the Commissioner Eastern and other partner agencies are assisting with the search effort.
Command centres have been established at Lakeba Sub-Divisional Hospital and the Eastern Health Divisional Office to co-ordinate the response. Alerts have been issued to all eight villages in Lakeba.
Community leaders have also been notified through district nurses in Nayau, Vanuavatu and Moala, and the Lomaloma Medical Team.
The ministry said informing the missing workers’ next of kin was its priority and it would continue providing them with updates as more information became available.
Seafarers, mariners and coastal communities in the Lakeba-Oneata passage are urged to remain vigilant and report any sightings that could assist search efforts.