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Solomons delegate dies at Samoa arts fests
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Posted on Jul 29 2008
[B]PAGO PAGO, American Samoa[/B]—A member of the Solomon Islands delegation at the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts in American Samoa passed away early yesterday morning.
George Garry, 47, died at 5:10am. Garry was a wood carver.
At a press conference called by the Festival Organizing Committee yesterday afternoon, Dr. Ivan Tuliau, Medical Director of the American Samoa Department of Health, said the presumed cause of death was cerebral malaria.
He said Dr. John Hui, the doctor traveling with the Solomon Islands delegation and staying at the same venue, was informed of Garry’s illness shortly before 4am. After assessing the severity of his condition, Hui called the Emergency Medical Service to transfer Garry to the hospital. He died before reaching the hospital despite intensive resuscitation efforts.
Tuliau said to his knowledge, Garry had not complained of any symptoms until shortly before Hui was called. He said that Garry would have contracted the disease before arriving in American Samoa as the malaria-transmitting mosquito is not present in American Samoa.
A short church service was held yesterday morning. In attendance were American Samoa Gov. Togiola Tulafono and board members of the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts Organizing Committee.
Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde, co-chairman of the Organizing Committee, said the government of American Samoa would take care of all necessary arrangements for the deceased.
The body would be flown back to the Solomon Islands with the delegation, which is traveling on a charter flight currently scheduled to depart American Samoa after the festival on Monday, Aug. 3.
Today, the Solomon Islands delegation will not participate in the festival program. The program will continue as planned for all other participating countries. [B][I](SPC)[/I][/B]
