By Noel Caballero
Labuan Bajo. Indonesia, Jan 4 (EFE).- Indonesian search teams extended operations until Wednesday to locate two Spaniards still missing after a tourist boat sank on Dec. 26, following the recovery on Sunday of a second body, authorities said.
Rescuers identified the deceased as Fernando Martín, a former footballer and coach of Valencia CF’s women’s B team, aged 44.
Martín’s remains were found at 8:47 a.m. local time (00:47 GMT) by a police vessel about 1.13 nautical miles from the site where the tourist boat, carrying him, his wife and four minors, sank.
The body was located north of Serai Island, close to where rescuers on Monday recovered the remains of a minor, the daughter of Andrea Ortuño, who had recently married Martín.
The vessel KM Putri Sakinah sank near Padar Island in Komodo National Park on Dec. 26, triggering an initial maritime search that was later expanded.
In addition to Ortuño, one of her daughters survived the accident. The two people still missing are Martín’s son and another son of Ortuño, both minors.
Sunday marked the tenth and final day initially set by authorities to conduct the search before assessing whether to suspend the mission.
However, following the discovery of Martín’s body, officials approved a three-day extension, running until Wednesday evening.
“If we find more bodies, we will reassess possible extensions. Otherwise, we will end the search but maintain monitoring, meaning that if another vessel locates a body after the operation ends, we could resume the mission,” Asfan Sulhasan, an officer with the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) and one of the operation’s coordinators, told EFE.
Rescue teams, which have relied in recent days on sonar equipment to scan the seabed, also detected what may be remains of the sunken vessel and an extinguisher in waters near Serai Island, although radar sweeps have not yet located the wreck.
On Monday, the operation will concentrate efforts on surrounding waters and coastlines in that area. Sources involved in the search told EFE that the zone had already been examined, raising suspicions that strong underwater currents may be displacing debris.
Relatives of the missing attended a religious service on Sunday afternoon at the Stella Maris Church near the port of Labuan Bajo, where the operation is being coordinated.
They were joined by Silvia García, Martín’s former partner and the mother of one of the missing minors.
Police have opened an investigation to determine whether any negligence by the crew contributed to the accident. EFE
nc-sk
