Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has rescued 11 foreign tourists and one crew member after their speedboat disappeared in the Gulf of Tomini, Central Sulawesi.
The vessel went missing on Friday while travelling between Una-Una Island and Gorontalo Province.
“According to the chief of the Gorontalo SAR Office, all the victims found were alive. However, the boat captain, Ferdiansyah, remains missing,” Rusmadi, operations chief of the Palu SAR Office, said on Saturday.
He said the rescued passengers were taken to a resort in Tojo Una-Una District, where authorities are working with resort officials to arrange their onward evacuation to either Wakai or Ampana, both located within the district.
Rusmadi said the Palu Basarnas Office deployed the Bhisma SAR boat with 13 rescue personnel and search equipment to the operation. The rescue vessel took about 10 hours to reach the search location.
The speedboat disappeared while travelling from Sanctum Una-Una Dive Resort on Una-Una Island to Marisa Port in Gorontalo Province.
The vessel departed at about 7:30 a.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive by 11 a.m. When it had still not reached its destination by 3 p.m., the tour guide alerted the Gorontalo SAR Office, triggering a search operation.
There were 13 people aboard the speedboat, including 11 foreign tourists, the captain and one crew member.
The foreign passengers were identified as Milan Kasik, 55; Rani Permentier, 30; Mathijs Sercu, 29; Jelka Van Driesum, 16; Hinke Van Deer, 59; Roeland Van Driesum, 61; Age Van Driesum, 18; Matthias Prange, 50; Celine Josette Menguy, 52; Hector Fabio Prange, 20; and Ronny Josue Prange, 13. Authorities did not disclose their nationalities.
The two Indonesian crew members were identified as Arif, 27, who was rescued, and Ferdiansyah, 29, who remains missing.
