LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — A body believed to be that of missing Valencia CF coach Fernando Martín Carreras was recovered from the waters of Komodo National Park on Sunday, ten days after the tourist vessel he was aboard sank in the region. The discovery was made approximately two kilometers (1.13 nautical miles) from the initial sinking site of the pinisi boat KM Putri Sakinah, between Seraya and Rinca Islands.
The find, announced by search authorities on the final day of an extended multinational operation, marks a somber development in a tragedy that has drawn global attention. “At 08:47 [local time], one victim was found floating in the waters near Rinca, at a distance of roughly 1.13 nautical miles from the incident location,” stated Fathur Rahman, Head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office and the mission coordinator.
The body was first sighted by the vessel KPJ 2007 before being formally retrieved and transported to Marina Labuan Bajo harbor aboard the Basarnas ship KN Puntadewa. It arrived at the port at approximately 10:10 a.m. and was subsequently transferred to the Komodo Labuan Bajo General Hospital for forensic identification.
While official confirmation is pending, a member of the victim’s family present at the SAR operations post identified the recovered remains. “Father is found,” the family member stated, indicating their belief that the body is that of Coach Carreras.
Authorities, however, emphasized the need for formal verification. “Regarding identifying features, we cannot confirm yet as we are awaiting the results of the identification process. At the time of recovery, it was an adult male, but we will wait for the forensic results before we can officially confirm,” explained Fathur Rahman. He confirmed that the two individuals still missing are the coach’s sons, aged 9 and 10.
The recovery brings a heartbreaking, partial conclusion to an intensive search that deployed sonar, drones, and over 150 personnel across a vast area of the Flores Sea. The location of the body, drifted over a kilometer from the last known position of the sunken vessel, underscores the powerful and complex currents in the Komodo archipelago that have challenged search efforts from the outset. The fate of the two missing children remains the agonizing, unresolved question for a family and a search team facing the end of the official operation.
Read: Photo Gallery: From Bajo Ritual to Recovery – The Valencia Coach’s Final Journey in Komodo
Read: Video: Solemn Recovery at Sea as Traditional Ritual Precedes Discovery of Valencia Coach
#heybalinews
Comments 2