Pacific Media Colleague Returns to NZ For Burial After Samoa Tsunami; Former NiuFM Announcer Dies in Tsunami

Former Aucklander Samoan Peter Letiu died trying to raise the tsunami alarm in Samoa

Former Aucklander Peter Letiu, 33, who previously worked at Pacific Media Network (Niufm and 53ipi radio stations in NZ), was among the first bodies found in Samoa after the earthquake and tsunami hit the South Coast of Upolu. His body arrives this afternoon in New Zealand for burial. Peter’s father, who lives in Mangere, Auckland, New Zealand, had been trying for the past week to have his son’s body returned to New Zealand. Peter’s wife and daughter live in Auckland. Peter’s mother lives in Samoa in the village of Saitaoa.

Colleagues at Pacific Media Network’s Ponsonby offices say he died in the line of duty after answering a call to help as a volunteer firefighter. He was in the firefighter’s truck raising the tsunami alarm to local villages when the truck rolled off a steep road, overturning

the truck, at Safa’ato’a.

Samoan Observer reports there were four firefighters in the back of the truck.  Peter was the only reported fatality in this accident. Another passenger broke his jaw, wrist and ribs, another suffered a back injury. Two local boys, Kone Muaiava and Tasi Sene, reportedly stood guard over the overturned truck sleeping overnight. Residents of their village growing taro nearby heard the crash and helped raise the alarm, said Kone.

Tasi Sene reportedly said Peter was alive when he was transported to hospital but died later at Tanumalala.  The steep and wiinding road, they said is considered dangerous, if speeding which is what the fire truck would have been doing in the tsunami emergency.

In an interview with Samoa Observer, Assistant Fire Commissioner Tipaula Laupue says it was the first time they had lost a firefighter in the line of duty.

Like many Samoans, Peter travelled regularly between Samoa and New Zealand with strong family and community ties in both countries.

Samoa’s Fire Commissioner says Peter, who was heavily involved in the advertising media industry in Samoa, also worked as a photographer covering weddings and funerals, played netball for the New Zealand High Commission team and acted as an actor on emergency ads in Samoa. Peter also worked for Samoa’s Fetu FM 104.1 as a radio announcer on the Love Songs To Midnight Show. He also volunteered for a number of organisations, as well as training to be a fully fledged firefighter for Samoa.

In New Zealand, Peter worked for a number of media organisations including Pacific Media Network(PMN), the umbrella group for NiuFM and 531pi Radio Stations in New Zealand, at its Ponsonby offices. He worked in the sales and marketing team.  Sorry Niufmer, I’ve just been corrected: before he went into the sales team, he was also working on air on NiuFM.

When I heard the news of Peter’s death, the memory that comes to mind is one of him always laughing around the office, and it was a cheeky laugh. I can see him in my mind’s eye sitting on the couch at the PMN Reception foyer, hanging out with other hardcase characters like Nate and Jandals, laughing their heads off at some prank they’d just done on another unsuspecting co-worker. Nate!! Sometimes I was tempted to say, ‘get serious’, will ya. He clearly did get serious in Samoa joining the fire brigade and trying to save lives ahead of the tsunami hitting the villages.

Safe Journey Home Peter. All our love. Our condolences to Peter’s father, mother, wife and daughter, and all his family at this time.

Family Service will be held for Peter on Sunday 11th October at 6pm in Mangere, Auckland, NZ, at the Samoan Methodist Church corner of Bader Driver and Elmdon Street. His burial service will be held the following day, Monday 12th October at 10am at the same church.