Indonesian rescue teams have resumed their search for a Spanish football coach and his three children on Saturday, after a tour boat carrying 11 people sank overnight, at Labuan Bajo near Padar Island in Indonesia. The location is a popular tourist destination within the Komodo National Park.
The coach was identified as Fernando Martin Carreras, who was in charge of the Women’s B Team of the Spanish League club Valencia.
The 44-year-old reportedly died along with three of his children, two boys and one girl, in the incident that occurred on December 26, the day after Christmas.
Martin Carreras played for the Cultural Reonesa and Cartagena while he was a player, and this season he was in charge of the Valencia team.
According to a report by the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, the boat, KM Putri Sakinah, carried a total of 11 people.
Head of the Class III Labuan Bajo Harbormaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP), Stephanus Risdiyanto, stated that all the victims were family members. "The four victims were foreign tourists, Spanish citizens, who, based on initial data, were part of a family group," said Stephanus, as reported by Kompas.com.
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The KM Putrina sank in the waters of Padar Striant on Friday at around 9 pm local time. About 30 minutes after it departed from Komodo Island, the boat experienced engine failure and sank due to high sea waves, which were more than two metres, causing the vessel to capsize. The waves have now been reported as caused by Cyclone 96S, previously a low-pressure area.
The emergency rescue team deployed found 7 of the passengers safe; two Spanish tourists, who were the coach's wife and one of their children, four crew members, and one tour guide. They were evacuated to the rescue ship.
On the second day of the search, the joint SAR team found debris and gas cylinders from the boat. The high waves caused by the cyclonic formation made the search difficult, and operations had to be suspended for a day. The search continued on Sunday. The team is still searching for the remains of Martin Carreras Fernando, Martin Garcia Mateo, Martines Ortuno Maria Lia, and Martinez Ortuno Enriquejavier.