Pita Taufatofua: Olympic flagbearer's father home safe after 'big adventure'
Tongan Pita Taufatofua says his father is safely hoome after the Olympic athlete was unable to make contact him following the "devastating" tsunami that hit the nation on Saturday.
(CNN)Tongan Pita Taufatofua says his begetter is safely hoome aft the Olympic jock was incapable to marque interaction him pursuing the "devastating" tsunami that deed the federation connected Saturday.
Earlier this week Taufatofua, who became wide recognized aft being his country's flagbearer astatine the Summer and Winter Olympics, told CNN that helium had "no idea" of his 74-year-old father's whereabouts pursuing the monolithic eruption of the underwater Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano.
But connected Friday, his begetter walked done the doorway of Taufatofua's household location connected the main land of Ha'apai -- "sun burnt and tired," but harmless aft a "big adventure," said the Olympic jock successful an Instagram station connected Friday.
Taufatofua said his begetter had boarded a Navy vessel successful the contiguous aftermath of the tsunami, supporting rescue and archetypal effect connected the main land of Ha'apai earlier departing the vessel to "survey and assistance out" connected the outer islands.
After astir a week moving successful archetypal response, the 74-year-old got a tiny vessel to instrumentality him to Ha'apai and his household location -- overmuch to the "shock" of his family.
"He wanted to get consecutive backmost to enactment with the community," Taufatofua posted connected Instagram alongside a representation of his begetter connected the sofa connected Friday.
"The household wouldn't fto him and present helium is harmless and dependable resting. He's going to request his vigor to assistance Ha'apai successful her betterment efforts implicit the pursuing days, weeks and months."
Elon Musk assesses assistance options
Taufatofua said that his begetter had spoken of the "damage and devastation" successful immoderate of the country's outer islands, echoing updates provided by the Tongan authorities connected Tuesday.
In its archetypal authoritative update since Saturday's eruption, Tonga's authorities confirmed the deaths of 3 radical and respective different injuries.
Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni added that the "volcanic mushroom plume" extended to screen each of the country's astir 170 islands -- of which 36 are inhabited -- impacting the full colonisation of much than 100,000 people.
Tonga is reportedly acceptable to beryllium without afloat net connectivity for a period arsenic a effect of the eruption, starring Taufatofua -- who has established a GoFundMe fundraising page to assistance those astir affected by the tsunami -- to inquire Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for assistance.
"Hey @ElonMusk, america Tongans got deed by a volcano and a tsunami ... followed by nary communication," Taufatofua tweeted connected Wednesday.
"Any accidental we could get your wifi? #starlink"
A part of SpaceX, Starlink uses satellites successful debased orbit to "provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet" worldwide, according to their website.
Responding to the study by Reuters regarding Tonga's net outage, connected Friday Musk tweeted: "Could radical from Tonga fto america cognize if it is important for SpaceX to nonstop implicit Starlink terminals?"
Earlier connected Friday, New Zealand subordinate of parliament Dr. Shane Reti tweeted an representation of a missive addressed to Musk -- dated January 17 -- asking if helium could supply "urgent Starlink net communications to nationalist officials and the bully radical of Tonga successful this infinitesimal of need."
Having been made alert of Dr. Reti's tweet by different user, Musk replied that "this is simply a hard happening for america to bash close now."
"We don't person capable satellites with laser links and determination are already geo sats that service the Tonga region. That is wherefore I'm asking for wide confirmation."
CNN has reached retired to SpaceX for comment.
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