The 21-year-old Tongamama’o man who drowned in lake Vailahi was buried on Tuesday after his funeral service.
Mourners flocked to the beach where his body was found before his burial services.
Safinata Filiai was reported missing on Sunday, August 18 after he went out swimming.
Police reportedly said an extensive search effort to find him continued on Monday, with search and rescue conducting multiple shoreline searches throughout the day.
The family reported on Facebook the deceased’s body was found after it appeared on the sea surface.
His family and friends took to Facebook to share their grief at losing their son:
“My heart is so broken with grief. I don’t have the words to say,” a family member wrote in Tongan.
Another wrote: “He was a good child who never had any problems with anyone in this town, everybody loved him.”
Police said the death was not suspicious.
