LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia – By the time rescue teams reached the sinking boat off Pulau Seraya on Saturday evening, there was nobody left to rescue.
The two people onboard had already swum to shore.
Authorities say a Russian tourist and a local boat captain survived after their vessel sank in waters near Seraya Island, close to Labuan Bajo, one of eastern Indonesia’s busiest tourism gateways.
The vessel, an open-deck boat named Berkah Kembar, was carrying Russian tourist Akob Gurgenovich Ter-Saakian and the boat’s captain, Rinaldi, when it sank Saturday afternoon.
“Yes, a Russian tourist was onboard,” said Iptu Leonardo Marpaung, head of the Water and Air Police Unit at Manggarai Barat Police, on Sunday.
A Boat Journey That Ended in the Water
According to authorities, Berkah Kembar departed from Ketentang in Labuan Bajo and was heading toward Seraya Kecil Island when the vessel encountered trouble in waters around Pulau Seraya.
What caused the boat to sink remains unclear.
Officials say both men managed to save themselves before rescue teams arrived.
“They each swam on their own and both are safe,” Leonardo said.
Both have since returned to Labuan Bajo.
Rescue Teams Found an Empty Vessel
The discovery initially created confusion.
Search and rescue teams had spent hours responding to reports of a sinking vessel and arrived expecting to locate survivors.
Instead, they found nobody onboard.
According to authorities, the explanation turned out to be simple.
“The two of them are strong swimmers,” Leonardo said.
Questions Remain
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the vessel to sink.
Investigators are still working to establish the circumstances surrounding the maritime accident.
For now, however, one outcome is already clear.
A boat sank near one of Indonesia’s busiest tourism destinations.
But everyone onboard made it back alive.