LABUAN BAJO — A scene of deep anguish unfolded at Karina Port in Labuan Bajo on Monday morning as the body of a child, believed to be the daughter of a Spanish football coach, was brought ashore following the sinking of a tourist vessel in Komodo National Park.
The body, wrapped in a disaster-response body bag belonging to Indonesia’s search and rescue agency Basarnas, arrived at the port shortly after dawn. Members of the joint search and rescue team carried the remains to a waiting ambulance, as officials prepared for formal identification procedures.
Standing several metres away, the child’s mother — the wife of Valencia CF Women’s B team coach Martin Carreras Fernando — cried out in distress and ran toward the ambulance, her grief visible to onlookers at the harbour. A relative who had travelled from Spain accompanied her, helping guide her through the crowded port as the ambulance doors closed.
The moment drew the attention of port workers, rescue personnel, and local residents gathered at Marina Waterfront Labuan Bajo, many of whom fell silent as the family’s loss became painfully apparent.
Earlier, West Manggarai Police Chief AKBP Christian Kadang confirmed that a female body believed to be a victim of the Putri Sakinah shipwreck had been recovered and transported to Labuan Bajo for further examination.
“It is correct. One female body suspected to be a victim of the KM Putri Sakinah has been found and evacuated using a Basarnas rigid inflatable boat,” Christian said on Monday morning. “The body is now undergoing identification at Komodo Regional Hospital.”
According to police, the body was first spotted at around 6:15 a.m. local time by fishermen near Pulau Serai, within the Komodo National Park area. The fishermen secured the body and alerted authorities, who temporarily moved it to the waters near Pulau Cincin before the joint SAR team carried out the evacuation.
By 6:20 a.m., police and rescue personnel had reached the location and transported the remains to Labuan Bajo by sea. Medical teams later escorted the body by ambulance to hospital, where forensic identification is ongoing.
The discovery marks a tragic development in the aftermath of the sinking of the tourist pinisi Putri Sakinah, which went down late on Friday night while travelling from Komodo Island to Padar Island. The vessel was carrying 11 people, including six members of a Spanish family, four crew members, and a local tour guide.
About 30 minutes into the journey, at approximately 8:30 p.m. local time, the boat reportedly lost engine power before being struck by strong waves and sinking in the dark waters of the Padar Strait.
Seven people survived the incident, including the coach’s wife and their youngest daughter. Four others — Martin Carreras Fernando and three of his children — were reported missing. Search operations have continued since the night of the accident.
Authorities say rescue efforts remain ongoing, with additional assets deployed to widen the search area. On Monday, the arrival of the KN SAR Puntadewa 250 strengthened maritime patrols around the sinking site, as teams continued to search for any remaining victims.
Labuan Bajo, a gateway to Komodo National Park and one of Indonesia’s most visited marine tourism destinations, has been left shaken by the tragedy. For now, the focus remains on identifying the recovered body and continuing the search for those still unaccounted for, while a grieving family waits for answers far from home.