Rescue teams searching the waters of Indonesia’s Komodo National Park have recovered the body of a young girl believed to be one of the victims of the sinking of the tourist boat Putri Sakinah, officials said on Monday.
The body was found at around 6.30am local time by local fishermen near Serai Island, a protected area within Komodo National Park, approximately 1.8 nautical miles from where the wooden pinisi vessel went down late Friday night.
The discovery was reported by a resident of Serai Island, prompting Indonesia’s joint search and rescue team to deploy a rigid inflatable boat to the location. The body was later evacuated to Labuan Bajo, the main coastal town serving Komodo National Park.
Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office and the mission coordinator for the operation, said the body was taken to Komodo Regional Hospital for formal identification by forensic specialists.
“The victim was transported to Komodo Hospital in Labuan Bajo for medical identification,” Rahman said, adding that the child’s mother and relatives accompanied the ambulance to assist in confirming the identity.
Authorities believe the body may be that of one of the four children missing from a Spanish family involved in the accident, though official confirmation is pending forensic results.
The Putri Sakinah sank on Friday evening at around 8.30pm local time while travelling from Komodo Island to nearby Padar Island, a popular route for sunset cruises and overnight tours in the national park. According to investigators, the boat lost engine power roughly 30 minutes into the journey before being struck by waves and capsizing in dark conditions.
Photo of the discovery of Fernando’s daughter’s body by Labuan Bajo fishermen (Ist)
Six Spanish nationals were on board as passengers, all from the same family. Among them was Martín Carreras Fernando, a coach with Valencia CF’s women’s B team in Spain, travelling with his wife, Mar Martínez Ortuno, and their four children aged between seven and twelve.
Mar Martínez Ortuno and the couple’s youngest daughter, seven-year-old Andrea Ortuno, survived the incident and were rescued along with the vessel’s four crew members and a local tour guide. Carreras and the couple’s three other children remain missing.
In total, 11 people were on board the boat at the time of the sinking. Seven were rescued alive. The four still unaccounted for are Carreras and his children: Martines Ortuno Maria Lia, Martin Garcia Mateo, and Martinez Ortuno Enriquejavier.
Following the recovery of the body, search teams immediately resumed operations to locate the remaining missing passengers. Efforts have been complicated by strong currents, shifting tides, and unpredictable weather conditions in the waters around Padar Island.
Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of Indonesia’s most visited marine destinations, drawing divers and travellers from around the world. The tragedy has raised renewed questions about safety standards and emergency preparedness on tourist vessels operating in remote island waters.
As of Monday afternoon, Indonesian authorities said the search for the remaining victims, all Spanish nationals, was continuing.
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