Five KM Nurul Salsa Victims Rescued After Four Days Adrift in Selayar Waters
On exactly the fourth day of the search, Saturday (18/7/2026), the joint SAR team managed to find five survivors of the sinking of KM Nurul Salsa amid ferocious waves. The five survivors, who endured in extraordinary circumstances, were found by KMN Sinar Matoanging 04 in the waters around Matallang Island, Selayar Islands Regency, South Sulawesi.
They were found floating and clinging tightly to a rompong, a fish house structure owned by local fishermen. The facility became their only lifeline for days as they were battered by strong sea currents.
The head of the Class A Makassar Search and Rescue Office, Muhammad Arif Anwar, revealed that the main factor behind the survivors’ safety was their ability to use the fishermen’s rompong as a natural float.
“Thank God, we received news that the five victims were found alive by KMN Sinar Matoanging 04. KN SAR Kamajaya is now moving towards the location to intercept and evacuate them,” said Arif.
He added that the physical and mental resilience of the survivors over four days at sea offers a valuable lesson for the maritime safety community. “They survived by holding on tightly to the rompong. This is proof that the will to live and the availability of safety equipment at sea are absolutely decisive,” he added.
The first report of the discovery came from the chairman of the Indonesian Fishermen’s Association (HNSI), who is also Deputy Chairman of Commission V of the House of Representatives, Iwan Darmawan Aras. The swift information from this fishermen’s network greatly assisted the effectiveness of a search that had previously relied solely on wide sweeping by the SAR team.
Basarnas Makassar confirmed that KN SAR Kamajaya would immediately evacuate the five survivors to receive emergency medical treatment. Upon arriving on land, they are scheduled to undergo intensive health examinations before being handed back to their families.
“We hope there are still other victims who can be found alive,” Arif concluded.
The search operation for further victims continues with all available joint SAR resources deployed. The team is sweeping the sea and monitoring areas based on current analysis and the latest weather conditions to reach any victims who may still be surviving in those waters.
The joint SAR team has expanded the search area for victims of KM Nurul Salsa to 448 square nautical miles, supported by additional vessels from Kendari and Maumere.