While most relatives have returned to Spain, one representative stays behind in Bali, clinging to the chance that local fishermen or tourist boats might yet find what a 15-day state operation could not.
DENPASAR, Bali — As the formal search for the victims of the KM Putri Sakinah shipwreck concluded in Labuan Bajo, a quiet, parallel vigil began over 500 kilometers away in Bali. While most of the family of Spanish coach Martin Carreras Fernando have returned to Spain, at least one relative has chosen to remain in Indonesia, holding onto a slender thread of hope that the sea may yet return its youngest victim.
The official 15-day multinational Search and Rescue (SAR) operation was closed with a somber ceremony on Friday, January 9. The body of Fernando’s youngest son was not recovered, leaving him officially declared lost at sea. Yet, according to Budi Widjaja, chairman of the local maritime tourism association who has been assisting the family, a family representative is waiting in Bali for a few more days.
“The family understands that the SAR operation had to be closed after the search period was extended three times,” Budi stated on Saturday, January 10. “But they still hold hope that the victim can be found.”
This hope is now placed not in state-coordinated missions, but in the daily rhythms of the local community and the reopened tourism traffic. The family is reportedly hoping that fishermen or passing tourist vessels in the waters around Labuan Bajo and Komodo might spot something the dedicated SAR teams did not.
A Solemn Farewell and an Unfinished Goodbye
The emotional weight of the unresolved loss was palpable during the closing ceremony. Witnesses described the attending family member as visibly distraught, bowing his head and placing a hand over his heart as local officials offered condolences. His steps were heavy as he approached the table to sign the official documents that marked the end of the search, cementing the boy’s status as missing.
In a poignant display of gratitude, he then shook hands with each of the hundreds of rescue personnel present—a gesture acknowledging their exhaustive effort, even as it fell short of the family’s deepest wish. Some personnel were seen embracing him in tears.
The tragedy on December 26, 2025, claimed the lives of Fernando, his 12-year-old daughter, and a 10-year-old son. Fernando’s wife, youngest child, the captain, and crew survived. The recovery of three bodies offered a degree of closure, but the absence of the fourth casts a long, unfinished shadow.
For the international community in Bali, the family’s decision to stay embodies the most human response to an unimaginable loss: the refusal to fully relinquish hope. It also underscores the deep, informal network of reliance that emerges in such crises—where the eyes of local fishermen and boat captains become the last line of a profoundly personal search, long after the official mission has ended.
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