Paea Moeakiola said her husband was a strong swimmer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Tonga, his father said he could swim at least three miles from their island to a neighbouring one.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we were in Tonga he would swim out to sea with a net and then drag it back in. He was fit and kept in good shape playing tennis.\u201d <\/p>\n
Tongan-born Moeakiola, a carpenter, met Paea in 2004 and moved to New Zealand in 2006. He was a father of four and she a mother of six. Together they set up a family home in Manurewa.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t love at first sight, Paea said, but she knew Moeakiola had a big heart. \u201cHe was humble, loving and caring.\u201d<\/p>\n
T\u0113vita Moeakiola’s headstone has a boat on top.<\/p>\n
Paea told the Herald that the day before the ill-fated fishing trip, she asked Moeakiola not to go because of a bad weather forecast – and she wanted him to accompany her to watch mokopuna play netball.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he said \u2018no, I already have a plan, I\u2019m going fishing\u201d Paea said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the morning, he asked me for petrol money for his boat. I said no, look at the weather. I didn\u2019t want him to go to sea that day.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn my way to netball, he called and I ignored it. He called again and said he had taken the scrap steel to the scrap yard and got $21.<\/p>\n
\u201cI joked he can stand in his boat at home and fish from there as $21 was not going to get him far.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Moeakiola said his brother-in-law and mate wanted to join him fishing and had filled the boat\u2019s tank.<\/p>\n
After netball, Paea went to lunch with her son and sent Moeakiola pictures of their yum cha meal. <\/p>\n
The couple exchanged calls and video throughout the afternoon: Moeakiola telling his wife he\u2019d caught some fish and sending video – he was not wearing a lifejacket, she said.<\/p>\n
At 3pm Paea told him it was time to come home, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut T\u0113vita said he wanted to stay out longer to make sure there were no fisheries officers as he had some undersized fish,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told him to throw them back to their mother fish.\u201d<\/p>\n
When she called him early that evening the phone went straight to voicemail.<\/p>\n
Paea Moeakiola and her late husband Tevita Moeakiola, who drowned without a lifejacket.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a feeling something was wrong straight away,\u201d Paea said.<\/p>\n
She called Moeakiola\u2019s sister – who phoned her back later to say Police had been in touch. The boat had capsized in rough seas. Moeakiola\u2019s body was found the following day.<\/p>\n
Paea asked the two survivors what they had talked about while fishing with her husband.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told the boys my daughter and her family were coming to New Zealand the following week to watch the Mate Ma\u2019a Tonga game and he wanted to get fish for them,\u201d Paea said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter and family arrived the following week for Tevita\u2019s funeral on the Friday and the match on the Saturday. I miss him very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
T\u0113vita Moeakiola loved boats and has one on his headstone.<\/p>\n
Paea designed Moeakiola\u2019s headstone with the top shaped as a boat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would come home from work and he would be doing something with his boat,\u201d Paea said. \u201cI said \u2018I think you love that boat more than me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Paea said a few weeks before he died, the couple bought another vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said I wasn\u2019t allowed to drive it as I had a work car and he wanted my daughter to use while she was here,\u201d Paea said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe hid the key and after he passed we could not find the key anywhere. I had to get a new key cut.\u201d<\/p>\n
Much later, the key was found stashed in a high cupboard.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knew because I was short I would not find it up there,\u201d Paea said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went to his grave and said \u2018you think I can\u2019t get the key, if only you were still alive I would give you a slap\u2019,\u201d Paea laughed.<\/p>\n
Rob Hewitt survived 72 hours lost at sea and is a public advocate for lifejackets and water safety.<\/p>\n
The Coroner determined Moeakiola\u2019s cause of death was drowning, with hypothermia likely a contributing factor. <\/p>\n
The report highlighted several missed safety steps \u2013 including the absence of lifejackets being worn, and waterproof communication equipment being available – that could have altered the outcome.<\/p>\n