LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia — The tenth day of a multinational search in the waters of Komodo National Park ended with a tragic discovery and a deepening resolve to find two missing children. While search teams recovered the body of Valencia CF coach Fernando Martín Carreras on Sunday morning, his two young sons remain lost at sea.
The 44-year-old coach was found floating near Rinca Island at approximately 08:47 a.m., about two kilometers from where the tourist vessel KM Putri Sakinah sank on December 26.
The body, discovered face-down and identified by family members based on his distinctive red trousers, was the only significant find of the day. The remainder of the search yielded only scattered debris—a fire extinguisher and small fragments of the sunken vessel.
“The results today are negative,” stated Fathur Rahman, Head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Office and the mission coordinator, after the day’s search concluded at 4:00 p.m. Despite deploying surface sweeps with sonar-equipped vessels and diver teams, no trace of the two boys was found.
In response, authorities have announced a second and critical extension to the search operation. The mission will now continue for three more days, from January 5 to 7, pushing the total effort to thirteen days since the boat capsized.
This decision underscores a commitment to exhausting every possible lead in the challenging currents of the Padar Strait.
The tragedy has unfolded in devastating stages. The coach’s 12-year-old daughter was recovered on December 29. His wife and their 7-year-old child survived the initial incident.
The discovery of Coach Carreras brings a painful closure to one part of the family’s ordeal, even as it sharpens the agonizing focus on the two boys, aged 9 and 10, who are now the sole focus of a massive and sustained rescue effort spanning land, sea, and air.
#HeyBaliNews
Comments 1