LABUAN BAJO — Indonesian rescue teams on Monday recovered the body of a young girl believed to be one of four missing members of a Spanish family after a tourist boat sank in the waters of Komodo National Park last week, deepening a tragedy that has drawn international attention.
The body was discovered early in the morning by local fishermen near Serai Island, a small outcrop within the protected waters of the Komodo archipelago. Authorities said the discovery occurred at approximately 6:15 a.m. local time, nearly three days after the wooden pinisi vessel Putri Sakinah capsized amid rough seas in the Padar Strait.
The victim is believed to be one of the children of Fernando Martín Carreras, a Spanish football coach associated with Valencia CF’s women’s development team. Carreras and three of his children have been missing since Friday night, when the boat went down during what was meant to be a short inter-island journey.
“This is a female victim suspected to be from the Putri Sakinah incident,” said Christian Kadang, the West Manggarai police chief, confirming that the body was evacuated by a Basarnas rigid inflatable boat and transferred to Komodo Regional Hospital for forensic identification.
According to police and search-and-rescue officials, the body was initially secured in nearby waters before being transported to the Marina Waterfront port in Labuan Bajo. Family members accompanied the ambulance to the hospital, where identification procedures were conducted by medical authorities.
The discovery marks the third day of an intensive multinational search effort involving Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, police units, naval assets, and local fishermen. Three members of the same family remain unaccounted for.
The Putri Sakinah was carrying 11 people when it departed on Friday evening, including seven passengers and four crew members. The passengers included Carreras, his wife, and their four children, aged between seven and twelve. His wife, Mar Martínez Ortuno, and their youngest daughter survived after escaping from the upper deck and were later rescued.
Officials said the boat encountered severe weather conditions shortly after departure. High waves and deteriorating sea conditions are believed to have played a decisive role in the sinking, a recurring risk in the region during transitional weather periods.
Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site best known for its rare Komodo dragons, has seen a sharp rise in marine tourism in recent years. The incident has renewed questions about safety standards, weather preparedness, and oversight of tourist vessels operating in remote island waters.
As rescue teams widen their search radius, authorities say efforts will continue despite challenging conditions. “We are expanding the search area and adjusting operations based on currents and weather,” a rescue official said.
For now, the waters off Komodo remain a place of mourning, where a family holiday has turned into an unfolding human tragedy, watched closely far beyond Indonesia’s shores.
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