Boat Stranded at Sea, 26 Passengers Evacuated to Pulau Panggang

A total of 26 passengers and three crew members of the KM Sumber Makmur were evacuated after the vessel encountered problems and was left adrift in the waters of the Thousand Islands on Saturday (13/4).

“We successfully evacuated the passengers and crew of the Motor Vessel (KM) Sumber Makmur, which experienced difficulties in the waters off Pulau Panggang due to bad weather,” said Gatot Sulaeman, Head of the Operations Section for the North Jakarta and Thousand Islands Fire and Rescue Sub-department.

Gatot stated that his team received a report of the incident at 06:50 WIB from one of the boat’s passengers. Upon receiving the information, personnel immediately deployed at 06:55 WIB with one rescue boat, the KM Satria Biru. “Six personnel were dispatched to the location to provide assistance,” he said.

Gatot explained that the KM Sumber Makmur had departed from Rawasaban Pier in Tangerang, heading towards the North Thousand Islands area, carrying 26 passengers and three crew members, including the captain. However, during the journey, the boat encountered problems due to deteriorating weather conditions and excessive cargo. The situation meant the boat could not continue its journey as it was feared it would endanger the passengers’ safety.

“All passengers were successfully evacuated to the KM Satria Biru in a safe condition. Meanwhile, the KM Sumber Makmur was subsequently towed to Pulau Panggang for further handling,” Gatot said.

By around 07:30 WIB, all passengers and the KM Sumber Makmur had arrived at Pulau Panggang safe and sound. “Safety is the priority. Do not force a voyage if the boat’s load has exceeded its capacity,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the captain of the KM Sumber Makmur, Sadam, expressed his appreciation for the fire and rescue officers who responded swiftly to carry out the evacuation. “Thanks to the officers’ quick response, all passengers were evacuated safely,” he said.