Families of three fishermen who went missing in Vava'u on May 29, approached a sorcerer, 'Ana Malia, in Leimatu'a last week asking to help locate the whereabout of their lost ones.
Six fishermen went fishing in Hakaufasi Reef in Vava'u Island but only three escaped the strong wind and swells in the area and returned safely ashore.
Police and families scoured the area for the missing three, Fangupo Fifita (43) 'Ahio Fe'iloaki (45) from Mataika, as well as Pauli Malimali (32) from Talihau, but failed to find them and the search was called off days later.
After the official search was called off, the families went to a sorcery practice known as "uiui tevolo" or calling up the devil where the sorcerer could strike up a conversation with the dead spirits of tānekinanga (grave) asking for advice.
'Ana Malia confirmed on Monday 10 that the families of Fangupo Fifita and Fe'iloaki 'Ahio of Mataika had come to her for help.
'Ana Malia told Kaniva News she had struck up a conversation with a dead lady from Mataika, Vava'u who died in the MV Princess Ashika that sank in 2009, killing 74 passengers.
The dead lady told the sorcerer 'Ana Malia that Fangupo was still alive but that 'Ahio had died on Sunday 9.and Pauli Malimali died days earlier.
Kaniva News understands that the families of Fe'iloaki 'Ahio conducted a funeral ceremony on June 11.
The sorcerer said the families could not communicate directly with the dead spirits but an empty glass was said to move around a sheet of glass that had letters of the alphabet around the edge. The glass is said to have been moved by the dead spirits to certain letters which only the sorcerer could interpret what message it spelled out.
The families could join this conversation but only with the guidance of the sorcerer.
Police Inspector Falakiseni from Vava'u Police Station confirmed to Kaniva News that a boat had been dispatched to the area last week at the request of the family and after the "Uiui Tēvolo" ceremony but could not get into the area due to bad weather.
