LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — After fourteen days of searching without results, Indonesian rescue teams are preparing to conclude operations for the missing son of a women’s football coach from Valencia CF, bringing a somber close to one of eastern Indonesia’s most closely watched maritime tragedies.
On Thursday, January 7, 2026, authorities confirmed that the latest day of operations had yielded no findings. The child is the last remaining victim of the sinking of the wooden pinisi vessel Putri Sakinah, which went down on December 26 in the waters off Padar Island, within Komodo National Park, near Labuan Bajo.
Harsh Conditions Slow Final Search Efforts
Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office and mission coordinator, said adverse sea conditions continued to hamper operations.
“Strong currents, high waves, and heavy rainfall affected today’s search,” he said at the SAR command post at Marina Labuan Bajo. “We observed directly that sea conditions remain difficult.”
The missing boy is the only unrecovered victim from the incident involving Fernando Carreras and his family. Fernando and three of his children were aboard the vessel when it sank during a nighttime crossing.
Search Expanded to Mangroves and Shoreline
As currents shifted, rescue teams broadened their focus beyond surface sweeps and diving operations. On Thursday, teams also searched land areas, including mangrove forests on Serai Island, where rescuers believe the child may have been carried ashore.
“Based on current patterns, we extended the search to all land areas around Padar Island, including mangrove zones,” Fathur said.
Friday’s operation is scheduled to mark the final day of the search, following its third official extension.
A Family’s Final Act of Remembrance
Photo of the Valencia coach’s family and close relatives after explaining the zero result obtained on Day 14. January 8, 2026
With hopes of recovery fading, the family of Fernando Carreras carried out a private flower-scattering ceremony at the site where the Putri Sakinah sank. The ritual was conducted from a vessel provided by the Indonesian National Police.
“The victim’s family also held a flower-scattering ceremony at the location of the incident,” Fathur confirmed, declining to provide further details out of respect for their privacy.
A Tragedy That Crossed Borders
Fernando Carreras and three of his children were among the victims of the sinking. His body was recovered on January 4, while his 12-year-old daughter was found earlier, on December 29. Both were discovered floating near the waters of Rinca and Serai islands.
Another son, aged 10, was recovered from inside the wreckage of the Putri Sakinah on Tuesday, January 6, after the vessel washed ashore at Pede Beach on Komodo Island — approximately 14 kilometers from the original sinking site.
Fernando’s wife and youngest child survived the incident.
A Caution That Reaches Bali’s Shores
The prolonged and ultimately inconclusive search underscores the realities of maritime rescue operations in the waters surrounding Komodo National Park — an area celebrated for its natural beauty, but also known for powerful currents and rapidly changing weather.
It is a cautionary tale that resonates acutely in neighboring Bali, where thousands of tourists and residents take to the sea daily on ferries, charters, and dive boats, often with a similar trust in the operational status quo.
Fourteen days on, the unanswered absence of one child remains — the final, silent chapter in a tragedy written across oceans.
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