RSIPF officers in the Central Islands Province provincial capital Tulagi are investigating the sinking of a tug boat near Buguna Island about 6.30pm last night Thursday 27 July and one missing crew member.
There were seven crew on board the tug boat when it sank.
The tug boat was pulling a barge when the incident happened. It was travelling from Honiara to Malaita when it sank after the rope tied to the tug boat broke resulting in the tug boat taking on water and sinking.
Six of the crew managed to struggle out of the sinking boat and swim ashore at Bungana near the Catechist Training School on the Island. One Asian crew member is now considered missing.
The six surviving crew were looked after until the Police arrived to transport them to Tulagi. Police are now interviewing the crew members to ascertain more information about the sinking of the tug boat and the missing crew member.
The RSIPF Explosive Ordnance Device Team from Honiara has been sent to the site of the sunken tug boat to dive and search for the missing person.