WELLINGTON: A 57-year-old Tongan man who said he swam around 27 hours after getting swept out to sea during Saturdays devastating tsunami has been hailed a ‘real life Aquaman’.

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano on Saturday killed at least three people, sent tsunami waves rolling across the archipelago, damaging villages, resorts and many buildings and knocked out communications for the nation of about 105,000 people.

Lisala Folau, who lived on the small, isolated island of Atata which has a population of about 60 people, was swept out to sea when the waves hit land at about 7pm on Saturday, he said in a radio interview to Tongan media agency Broadcom Broadcasting.

Folau said he was painting his home when he was alerted about the tsunami by his brother, and soon the waves had gone through his lounge.

He climbed on a tree to escape but when he got down another big wave swept him away, he said. The 57-year-old said he is disabled and cannot walk properly.

“I just floated, bashed around by the big waves that kept coming,” he told the radio station.

Folau said he kept floating, and slowly managed to swim 7.5 km (4.7 miles) to the main island of Tongatapu, reaching the shore 27 hours later at about 10 p.m. on Sunday.

The story of Folau’s heroics went viral among Tongan groups on Facebook and other social media.

“Real life Aquaman,” said one post on Facebook, referring to the comic book and film chracter. “He’s a legend,” said another post.

Atata, which is about 8 km northwest of Tongas capital Nuku’alofa, or a 30-minute boat ride, has been almost entirely destroyed in the tsunami that hit the islands. Tongan naval boats are still surveing the smaller islands and evacuating people to the main islands.The first emergency supply aircraft reached the country on Thursday, five days after a devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami, as dispersed communities awaited the arrival of a ship with equipment to scale up supplies of drinking water.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules landed at the South Pacific island nation’s Fua’amotu International Airport, a defence spokesperson said, after a blanket of volcanic ash was cleared off the runway.

The ash has spoiled much of the archipelago’s drinking water.

An Australian Globemaster C-17A military transporter also landed, with a second Australian aircraft due to make the flight later in the evening.

Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said the Globemaster was loaded with supplies including desalination equipment, shelter, kitchens and a sweeper to help remove ash from the airport.

“The C-17A flight today was made possible thanks to the tireless efforts of Tongan authorities who have worked to clear a thick layer of volcanic ash from the runway,” Dutton said in a statement.

The New Zealand aircraft was carrying humanitarian aid and disaster relief supplies, including kits for temporary shelters, generators, hygiene and family kits, and communications equipment, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said.

The delivery of the supplies brought in by both aircraft was contactless to ensure Tonga remains free of the coronavirus.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2022