A tourist and four hotel staff members were rescued Thursday afternoon after drifting out to sea while kayaking near Taumeasina Island Resort, according to Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Tanuvasa Petone Mauga.

Commissioner Tanuvasa confirmed that a rescue team was dispatched after receiving a distress call. 

"My team was out there trying to render that assistance as required. And I still haven't received the report, but I can confirm that the surf rescue team was out there," he said.

The incident reportedly occurred around 2:30 pm on Thursday, when a tourist kayaking offshore got into difficulty. Four staff members from the Taumeasina Island Resort attempted a rescue but encountered trouble.

“According to the hotel, the guy went out kayaking,” Tanuvasa said. “And then four staff members who went to try and rescue that guy, unfortunately, could not do so.”

All five individuals eventually ended up on a small offshore island, believed to have formed during previous cyclones. They were later rescued and brought back to land safely by SFESA.

“They're all back on land and they're all, yeah, smiling and thankfully they're safe,” said Mauga.

He urged caution for tourists engaging in water activities during the rainy season.

“At this time, it is very important to listen to the weather and sometimes, it may look fine, but it's unpredictable; it can change at any time,” he said. 

“Make sure if you go out, you have someone to look after you or tell someone where you're going and also make sure you have safety gear.

“If the weather changes and you get into trouble, at least there are some areas, some preventative or some safety measures that you would consider or you can use to keep afloat or try and stay alive.”

Authorities continue to advise tourists and locals to monitor weather alerts and take appropriate precautions before heading to sea.