The Police have confirmed that another man from Taga village in Savai’i has gone missing after an overnight fishing expedition, amid another search currently underway for the body of a man from Aopo village.

Deputy Police Commissioner, Papali'i Monalisa Tiai-Keti, confirmed in an email response to the Samoa Observer Sunday night that a team from the Police and Fire and Emergency Service Authority (F.E.S.A.) were dispatched to locate the body of the 24-year-old father.

She said this is the second drowning incident reported to the Ministry of Police over the weekend from Savai’i with villagers alerting the police outpost at Vaito'omuli on Sunday morning to the latest tragedy.

"This incident was reported to the Ministry of police's outpost at Vaito'omuli about a 24-year-old father-of-two from the village of Taga," said Papali'i. "Reports say that this man went fishing last night [Saturday night] and he did not return home by Sunday morning. 

“The family then reported the matter to police and the search commenced this morning [Sunday]. 

"As of this evening [Sunday] police have still not recovered the body of this father."

The man’s disappearance comes on the back of a double fishing tragedy that struck two men from Aopo village on Saturday, who did not return home after going fishing earlier in the day. A 21-year-old man and a 37-year-old father are suspected to have been swept away by strong currents at Asau while out fishing. 

A search team from Police and the F.E.S.A. was also dispatched to begin the search at Asau on Saturday evening which was stopped at midnight. They continued on Sunday morning and were able to recover one of the two bodies. 

The search for the second body of the man from Taga village continues, according to Papali'i.