LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — The eleventh-day search for the two missing sons of Valencia CF coach Fernando Martín Carreras entered a new phase of precision and scale on Monday, January 5. In a strategic shift, the joint Search and Rescue (SAR) command restructured its massive operation into seven dedicated Search and Rescue Units (SRUs), each assigned a specific zone and task to methodically comb the vast Komodo seascape.
The operation, one of Indonesia’s most extensive recent maritime searches, now functions like a coordinated fleet of specialists. Each SRU has a defined patrol area and vessel assignment, creating a comprehensive net across the search zone.
According to mission coordinator Fathur Rahman, Head of the Maumere SAR Office, the deployment is as follows:
- SRU I is conducting a major surface sweep across 35.8 nautical miles using a combination of vessels, including the lead ship KN Puntadewa 250.
- SRUs II, III, IV, and VI are covering additional surface sectors totaling over 40 nautical miles with various patrol and speed boats.
- SRU V is dedicated to sub-surface detection, utilizing hydrographic navigation sonar (Hidronav) to scan a 4.55-nautical-mile area of the seabed.
- SRU VII is covering a final surface sector of 10.1 nautical miles.
This highly organized, grid-based approach represents a critical evolution in the search, which was granted a second three-day extension following the recovery of the boys’ father on Sunday. The strategy moves from broad sweeps to targeted, accountable coverage of specific coordinates in the Padar Strait and surrounding waters.
The formation of seven SRUs underscores the operation’s commitment to leaving no potential area unexamined. As the search for the two children enters its final scheduled days, this methodical, multi-pronged assault is the most systematic effort yet to find answers in the powerful and elusive currents of Komodo National Park.
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