Search work carried out by Indonesian residents near Padar Island led to the discovery of the body of a minor, which was subsequently transferred to the Komodo Regional Hospital for forensic examination. The main news revolves around the identification of the body that could correspond to one of the Spanish girls who was traveling with her family on the wrecked boat near Labuan Bajo in Komodo National Park. As the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency reported through its official channels, including Facebook, authorities are trying to confirm the identity of the affected family members.
According to the Antara news agency, the victim found was a girl around the age of twelve. Maumere office chief and operation coordinator Fathur Rahman said the body was located about a nautical mile from where the motorboat Putri Sakinah allegedly sank. Asfan Dulhasan, head of the Operations Sub-Directorate of the same delegation, told Antara News that the evidence suggests that it is a minor and stressed the importance of forensic verification to avoid identity errors.
The presence of the possible victim’s family at the regional hospital facilitated the identification process and accompanied the medical authorities in charge of analyzing the remains at all times, the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency said. This operation takes place in a climate of expectation on the part of relatives and consular authorities, who are waiting for final confirmation as to whether the body found is one of the Spanish minors who disappeared during the shipwreck.
Information gathered by Antara News suggests that the discovery of the body occurred on the first day of expanding the search area, a decision by authorities after several days of failing to produce positive results. The cooperation of local residents was crucial as they were the ones who found the body and alerted the joint search and rescue team, allowing the operation to focus on that area.
According to the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the shipwreck is attributed to intense weather conditions that caused high waves near Padar Island. Local authorities said the boat lost engine power shortly before hitting the waves, which led to the boat’s sinking.
The accident involved the coach of Valencia CF Femenino B, Fernando Martín, 44, as well as two minors – one the son of Martín himself and the other of his partner Andrea Ortuño – and another daughter, who was rescued along with Ortuño. So far, three people remain missing: Fernando Martín himself and the two children mentioned above, as stated by the Search and Rescue Agency.
The family was in Indonesia enjoying a holiday trip, an activity that has become increasingly popular among European tourists in recent years. In this sense, the intention of the Indonesian authorities is to maintain active search operations by sea and land in the following days to look for the remaining missing people, as reported by Antara News.
The case continues to attract great interest in the Asian country and the international community, not only due to the involvement of foreign citizens, but also due to the complexity of rescue tasks in environments characterized by adverse weather conditions and vast island expanses, as documented by the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency.
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