LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — As the search for two missing boys enters its twelfth day in Komodo National Park, their family has conducted a private, sorrowful ritual on another island.
The bodies of the boys’ father, Valencia CF coach Fernando Martín Carreras, and his 12-year-old daughter have been cremated in Bali, even as the hunt for his sons continues in the northern Padar Strait.
The cremation rites were confirmed on Tuesday, marking a step toward repatriation for the recovered family members.
Their remains had been transferred to Bali from Labuan Bajo due to limited mortuary facilities in the remote port, where the search operation remains headquartered.
While this chapter closes for part of the grieving family, the exhaustive maritime mission presses on with renewed focus.
Rescue teams, commencing at 6:00 a.m. local time, are now concentrating their advanced underwater assets on the northern reaches of the Padar Strait.
Authorities are deploying Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), sonar systems, and diver propulsion vehicles in a narrowed, targeted effort.
“This SAR operation is a tangible manifestation of synergy and the concern of all maritime personnel in a humanitarian mission,” stated Kombes Pol. Henry Novika Chandra, Head of Public Relations for the regional police.
He acknowledged persistent challenges from weather and strong currents but affirmed that inter-agency coordination is maximizing efforts.
The simultaneous events—a quiet farewell in Bali and a high-tech search hundreds of kilometers away—underscore the protracted and layered nature of the tragedy.
As the ashes of the coach and his daughter are prepared for their journey to Spain, the full force of a multinational rescue operation remains fixed on the waters of the UNESCO-listed park, seeking his two 10-year-old sons and hoping to bring a definitive end to the family’s agonizing wait.
#heybalinews
