Fourth Day of Komodo Search Ends, Three Missing as One Child’s Body is Found

Labuan Bajo, Indonesia — On the fourth day of a massive search operation in Komodo National Park, rescue teams recovered the body of a young girl but have yet to locate three other missing members of a Spanish family. The grim discovery narrows the focus of the ongoing mission to finding Valencia CF women’s football coach Fernando Martín Carreras and his two sons.

The body, initially spotted by a local fisherman in waters near Serai Island on Monday morning, was evacuated to a hospital in Labuan Bajo where forensic identification confirmed it was one of the coach’s daughters. The child’s mother, Mar Martínez Ortuno, and her youngest sister survived the Friday night sinking of the tourist vessel Pinisi Putri Sakinah and were present for the identification.

“The joint SAR team on this fourth day of search found one victim in deceased condition at 06:05 local time,” said Fathur Rahman, head of the Maumere search and rescue office and the mission coordinator, on Monday evening. “After identification, it is confirmed that it is one of the victims of the KM Putri Sakinah that sank.”

A Challenging and Expanding Search

The search for the remaining three missing individuals followed a detailed plan based on a SAR map issued by the central Basarnas office. The operation focused on the coastal waters of islands adjacent to Padar, specifically Pulau Serai, Pulau Pengah, Pulau Papagarang, Pulau Siaba Besar, and extending north to Pulau Kanawa.

The effort on Monday involved nine vessels from various agencies, including the national rescue service (Basarnas), the navy, police, and port authorities. Underwater operations were conducted by a six-person team from the Komodo Professional Divers Association, who executed two diving sessions at depths of 18-28 meters.

“The first session was from 09:10 to 09:45 local time and the second session from 10:45 to 11:35 local time. However, the results were still negative until 17:00 local time,” Fathur Rahman reported. The divers contended with strong currents, and the broader search was hampered by heavy rain and high waves, which reduced visibility. “The fifth-day SAR operation will continue tomorrow,” he added.

The Incident and Its Aftermath

The Pinisi Putri Sakinah was on a routine evening transit from Komodo Island to Padar Island when it reportedly suffered engine failure and was overwhelmed by waves. Of the eleven people on board, seven were rescued on the night of the incident, including the captain, crew, a guide, the coach’s wife, and their youngest daughter.

The tragedy has drawn international attention and prompted high-level coordination between Indonesian and Spanish authorities. It has also led to a temporary suspension of tourist sailings in parts of Komodo National Park as a safety precaution amid ongoing severe weather warnings for the region.

For the international community in Bali, a primary hub for travel to Komodo, the prolonged search underscores the powerful and unpredictable nature of the Flores Sea. The recovery of one victim offers a painful form of closure for one aspect of the family’s agony, even as the wait for answers about the others continues. The thoughts of the local and expatriate community remain with the grieving family and the rescuers persevering in challenging conditions.