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7 May, 2018

SIVB pays tribute to marketing officers lost in Mataniko River tragedy

Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto has paid tribute to the national tourist office’s two senior marketing officers tragically lost in the Mataniko River region on 19 April 2018.

Stella Lucas passed away and Chris Nemaia went missing while assessing a hiking program in the Mataniko River region close to Honiara with two other SIVB colleagues.

Speaking two weeks after the tragedy occurred, Tuamoto said the loss of Nemaia and Lucas represented the darkest moment in the national tourist office’s 49-year history.

“The SIVB team is a small, very close-knit group and many of the staff have been working side by side to promote the Solomon Islands for many, many years,” Tuamoto said.

“Chris and Stella joined the organisation in 2000 and in their combined 36-plus years with the organisation, both played major roles in helping to position their Solomon Islands home on the international tourism map and with great effect.”

“Both Chris and Stella were much loved and respected, both here in the Solomon Islands and overseas.”

“Both had wonderful reputations and both were known as people who could be easily and readily relied upon to do any job and do it to the betterment of their organisation, their industry and their country.”

“They will be forever missed.”

Tuamoto said the SIVB team had been overwhelmed with the messages of sympathy and support received from around the world following the tragedy.

“It just goes to show how much impact both had,” he said.

“The entire SIVB team, both here and overseas, has had to endure something none of us ever expected to have to experience – we have been rocked to our very core.”

“The pain will continue to hover and it will take all of us a very long time to get over this tragedy,” he said.

“Yet we have to pick up the pieces and move on beyond what is expected of us.

“We owe this to the memory of our two very dear colleagues.”

Lucas’ funeral was held at her Henderson home on 22 April while a remembrance service for Nemaia, who is still missing, took place in Honiara on 29 April.

Pictured: Stella Lucas.

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Chris Nemaia and Stella Lucas Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto Mataniko River solomon islands visitors bureau