HEYBALI.NEWS – On the seventh day of search operations for Fernando Martin Carreras, a Valencia CF women’s B team coach, and his two young sons, Indonesian rescue authorities are relying on a detailed combination of drift modelling, debris analysis, and ocean current mapping to guide their efforts in the waters of Komodo National Park.
The renewed operation follows a search plan developed by Basarnas, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, in coordination with joint rescue teams stationed at the KSOP command post in Labuan Bajo. According to Major General Edi Prakoso, Basarnas’ Deputy for Operations and Preparedness, the strategy reflects days of cumulative analysis rather than a single data point.
“All calculations have been carried out in detail,” General Prakoso said on Thursday. “They are based on sea current patterns from the first day of the incident until now, the locations where debris from Putri Sakinah was recovered, the point where the first victim was found, and predictive SAR maps issued by Basarnas headquarters.”
A Search Shaped by the Sea
Unlike earlier days, when search areas were broader, Thursday’s operation narrowed its focus to zones where drifting objects are most likely to accumulate, based on current behavior in the region.
Rescue teams were instructed to concentrate surface sweeps and underwater searches in the waters surrounding Padar Island and the Lintah Strait, south of Padar. Additional priority areas include the eastern waters of Komodo Island, north of Rinca Island, and several smaller islands nearby, such as Serai Island, Siaba Besar, and Papagarang.
Alongside surface patrols, divers continue to operate in selected locations, while underwater sonar equipment operated by the East Nusa Tenggara police marine unit has been redeployed to scan the seabed for potential wreckage or trapped objects.
Balancing Precision and Hope
General Prakoso urged all participating units to maintain focus and resolve, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of prolonged maritime search operations.
“Let us keep our spirits and optimism,” he said. “We hope that today will bring new signs pointing to the victims’ whereabouts.”
A Large-Scale Operation
Thursday’s search involved 102 personnel drawn from multiple agencies, including Basarnas, the Indonesian Navy, marine police, harbor authorities, and other maritime units. The fleet supporting the operation includes search and rescue vessels, patrol boats, rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), sea riders, and other high-speed craft, all deployed to cover both open waters and narrow island channels.
The sinking of Putri Sakinah has become one of the most closely watched maritime incidents in eastern Indonesia in recent years, highlighting both the beauty and the hazards of the region’s seas. For rescuers, each day brings a careful balance between science, endurance, and the hope that the sea will yield answers before time runs out.