Body found in Indonesia as search continues for football coach and three children after boat sank
Rescue teams have found a body in their ongoing search for the family of a Spanish football coach and his three children.
A search and rescue operation was launched in Indonesia after a tour boat sank three days ago. The rescue team discovered the body just after dawn on Monday (December 29), floating near the northern waters of Serai island, about 0.6 miles from the site of the sinking.
A local resident first spotted the body, according to Fathur Rahman, the Maumere Search and Rescue Office chief. He said the body was transported to a hospital in Labuan Bajo, a gateway town to eastern Indonesia’s Komodo National Park, for identification.
“Relatives of the victim joined the ambulance to ensure identification through medical and forensic procedures,” Rahman said.
“We are still focusing on coastal areas and underwater searches despite strong currents, heavy rain, and high waves.
“Divers carried out two deep-water dives between 18-28 metres, but no additional victims were found.”
The family holiday in the park area turned tragic for Valencia CF Women’s B coach Fernando Martin, 44, when the boat carrying him, his wife, their four children, four crew members and a local guide sank on Friday evening after suffering engine failure.
Komodo National Park is a Unesco World Heritage site famous for its rugged landscapes, pristine beaches and an endangered lizard, the Komodo dragon. The park attracts thousands of international visitors for diving, trekking and wildlife tours.
Martin’s wife and one child, along with four crew members and a local guide, were rescued in the hours following the incident. Martin, his two sons and another daughter, aged nine, 10 and 12, were unaccounted for.
Rahman said Martin’s wife Andrea, their youngest daughter Mar and other survivors are in good health and that authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
The search operation, on its fourth day as of today, continued for the remaining family members. Indonesian law calls for searches to continue for seven days and may be extended if necessary.
Efforts have been reinforced with nearly 100 personnel, supported by police and navy, who were combing four sectors in inflatable boats, navy ships and rescue vessels with the assistance of local fishers and residents. Divers were also deployed.
The search area had been doubled from the initial one centred on a nine-kilometre (5.6-mile) radius from the site of the sinking, where rescue teams found the boat debris, Rahman added.
Rescuers conducted intensive searches across waters surrounding Padar island, including near the tiny islands of Serai, Pengah, Papagarang, Siaba Besar, and northern Kanawa island.