Incheol Seol was one of those on board. He and his crewmates were taken to Suva to stay while arrangements were made. From that day, he formed a connection he’d never forget, one which transcended language:

A friendship with Hobart’s Mike Dutta. 47 years later, they’ve been reunited.

Mike Dutta was living a very different life in 1976: He lived in his birthplace of Fiji, he was a pastor and he was a new father.

After the shipwreck, Mr Dutta reached out to the crew, and became friends with one of the men.

“I heard and read in the paper, the Fiji Times, about their plight and that they were staying not too far from my place, I was able to make contact and be of help to him and the others,” Mr Dutta said.

“I wanted to give him that support to help him along, make him feel he was one of us.

“I used to have a motorbike, I’d pick him up, take him around, go to church, go to school, whenever I was in the ministry I used to take him with me.

“He couldn’t speak English but with body language it didn’t matter. By playing soccer together, singing together, playing the guitar, we connected.”

After several weeks living in Suva, it came time for Mr Seol to return home.

“Then one day after maybe a month, they asked if he wanted to go back to Korea. He left without telling me,” Mr Dutta said

“I found out he was there. I wrote to him, told him how much I care for him. He’s still got that letter.”

Though the two friends lost touch, Mr Dutta never forgot the connection he made with Mr Seol.

“Seven years ago, we went to Busan (South Korea) from Fukuoka (Japan). I said to my family ‘I have a friend in South Korea, but I don’t know where he is, I don’t know if he’s still alive or dead’.”

And Mr Seol did not forget Mr Dutta.

“He stayed there around 45 days. At that time he met Mike Dutta and it was very unforgettable time and experience,” said Yirye Seol, who translated for her father.

“He was very motivated by [Mike], his passion, and missionary work. His kindness and his love, he was not forgettable.”

She said she, her sister Bogyeong Seol and their mother Jeongsun Kim had for years heard tales about Fiji.

“He kept telling us about the Fiji life and Michael Dutta’s family and the experiences from Suva. We grew up hearing about the memories,” Yirye Seol said.

“He never forgets about it, even in Korea,” Bogyeong Seol said.

“He even said ‘before I pass away, I want to see him again, one more time’. That’s why we started googling him. We wanted to make his dreams come true.

“We found him, we tried to show the picture to him. Previously Dutta did not have any (facial) hair but he remembered his eyes. He recognised ‘oh it is him’ and then he asks us to send the email.”

In Hobart on February 7, the two were finally able to reunite.

“After 47 years, he’s got a wife, two beautiful daughters and through the daughters, he found me, though google,” Mr Dutta said.

“When I saw him today at the airport, my heart bubbled with joy. I’ve been waiting for this day.”

After the two met, Incheol Seol had this to say about Mike:

“40 years same same. Your face, same same.”

judy.augustine@news.com.au