LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — A body recovered from the waters near Rinca Island on Sunday has been confirmed as a victim of the KM Putri Sakinah sinking, bringing a tragic, partial conclusion to a ten-day multinational search effort in Komodo National Park.
The victim, an adult male, was found floating approximately 1.13 nautical miles (about 2 kilometers) from the location where the tourist vessel sank on December 26. The discovery was made at 8:47 a.m. local time by a team aboard the RIB KPJ 2007, a vessel from the local water police.
“At precisely 08:47 this morning, the joint SAR team found one body, suspected to be a victim of the KM Putri Sakinah, at coordinates 8°36’32.58″S – 119°36’32.22″E,” stated Fathur Rahman, Head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office, during a briefing at Labuan Bajo harbor.
While the body is strongly believed to be that of Fernando Martín Carreras, the missing Valencia CF women’s B-team coach, authorities have stopped short of a definitive identification pending a formal forensic examination.
“We still suspect it is him, but we are waiting for the identification results. At the moment of recovery, it was confirmed to be an adult male. We must await the forensic identification results. That is what we will announce later,” Fathur explained. He noted that no other missing persons have been reported in the area, focusing the investigation on the passenger manifest of the sunken vessel.
The body was evacuated using the Basarnas vessel KN Puntadewa to Marina Labuan Bajo port before being transferred to Komodo General Hospital. A Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team from the West Manggarai Police will conduct the formal identification process.
With this recovery, the massive search operation now narrows its focus to the two remaining missing individuals: the coach’s two sons, aged 9 and 10. The challenging conditions of strong currents and the vast search area around Padar and Rinca Islands have complicated operations over the past ten days, but teams continue to sweep potential zones.
“The body has been taken to Komodo Hospital,” Fathur stated succinctly, marking the end of one chapter in a search that has mobilized over 150 personnel and captured international attention, while a painful quest for two young lives continues.