LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — Following the recovery of Valencia CF coach Fernando Martín Carreras, authorities have announced a crucial three-day extension to the search for his two missing sons. NTT Police Chief, Inspector General Rudi Darmoko, confirmed the decision to detikBali on Sunday, stating the search will now continue until Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
“This is the second extension, effective until January 7, 2026. The first search extension was from January 2 to January 4,” stated Inspector General Rudi.
The new deadline follows a morning of both discovery and renewed urgency. The body of Coach Carreras was found floating face down and shirtless near Rinca Island by a team from the NTT Police Water and Air Directorate (Ditpolairud) at 08:47 a.m., just hours before the initial search window was set to close.
“The first team to locate the body today was my team from Ditpolairud NTT Police, led by Director Kombes Irwan Deffi Nasution,” Rudi explained, noting a press conference would be held to provide further details.
The formal identification of the coach was confirmed by NTT Police Spokesperson, Kombes Henry Novika Chandra. “Yes, it is correct. The body is an adult male and a Spanish national,” he told detikBali.
The body is currently undergoing a comprehensive forensic examination at Komodo General Hospital in line with international Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) protocols.
With one family member found, the mission’s focus now intensifies on locating the two boys, aged 9 and 10. The extension underscores the authorities’ commitment to exhausting all avenues in the challenging waters of Komodo National Park, where strong currents have complicated the ten-day operation.
The search teams, having secured a painful answer for the family, now race against time and tide to find the remaining children.
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