Labuan Bajo – A raw and desperate plea cut through the formal setting of a government office in Labuan Bajo on Tuesday (30/12/2025). Mar Martinez Ortuno, the wife of missing Valencia CF coach Fernando Martin Carreras , embodied every family’s deepest anguish as she clung to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Governor Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, her words reduced to a heart-shattering mantra:
“Please help. Please help.”
The emotionally charged meeting at the Harbourmaster’s Office (KSOP) saw Governor Laka Lena personally console the Fernando family, who were accompanied by the Deputy Ambassador of Spain. Upon introduction by Budi Widjaya, Chairman of the Labuan Bajo Indonesian Tour Guides Association (Gahawisri) who acted as translator and liaison, Ms. Martinez immediately reached for the Governor.
What began as a handshake swiftly dissolved into a tearful embrace. In that moment, protocol gave way to profound human desperation. Clutching the Governor, Ms. Martinez, her voice breaking, implored him directly to find her missing husband and children. The repeated, simple English plea—“Please help”—transcended language, conveying a universal cry of a family clinging to hope.
Governor Laka Lena, visibly moved, sought to comfort her, assuring that search and rescue teams were deploying every possible resource. “We will continue to search for the father and child who have not yet been found,” he stated solemnly. The gravity of the promise hung in the air, leaving the room in a respectful, heavy silence, as officials, diplomats, and family members shared in the weight of the moment.
This intimate encounter lays bare the profound human tragedy behind the headlines of the Putri Sakinah sailing vessel disaster. While Ms. Martinez and her youngest child survived the sinking in the Padar Island straits on December 26th, her husband, a coach for Valencia CF’s Women’s B-team, and two of their children remain missing. Their daughter was recovered earlier in the week.
The scene underscores the international dimension of the crisis and the intense pressure on local authorities. It moves the narrative beyond maritime procedures and into the visceral realm of personal loss, highlighting the urgent, ongoing mission to provide answers for a grieving Spanish family and to ensure accountability in one of Indonesia’s premier tourist regions.
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