LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — Under a steady, gray drizzle, the search for the two missing sons of Valencia CF coach Fernando Martín Carreras entered its twelfth day on Tuesday, a mission now racing against a final deadline with weather and depth as its chief adversaries.
Despite the rain sweeping across the Padar Strait, the multinational task force intensified its efforts on what is scheduled to be the penultimate day of the operation. The joint team expanded to 168 personnel across 18 primary vessels, supported once again by maritime drones and five sonar units, including advanced multibeam systems.
“Even though the weather during the search is overcast and rainy, it does not extinguish the spirit of the search,” stated Fathur Rahman, Head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office and mission coordinator.
The deployment represents one of the largest single-day mobilizations since the KM Putri Sakinah sank on December 26.
The search is now a story of two stubborn absences: the two young boys, aged 9 and 10, and the main wreckage of their vessel, which has still not been located.
Sonar scans continue to be hampered by the extreme depth—over 200 meters in a treacherous underwater trench—and powerful currents in the search zone, creating a significant technical barrier.
With the coach and his 12-year-old daughter recovered and recently cremated in Bali, the operation’s focus is agonizingly narrow. The boys’ mother and their 7-year-old sister, who survived the sinking, await news as the search enters its final scheduled hours.
The mission, already extended twice, is set to conclude on Wednesday, placing immense pressure on the teams scouring the rain-soaked, complex seascape of Komodo National Park for a final, heartbreaking resolution.
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