Joint SAR Team Evacuates Crew of Sunken Tugboat in Anambas Islands

A joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team in the Anambas Islands Regency, Riau Islands Province, has evacuated four crew members of a sunken vessel in the region’s waters. Kepulauan Anambas Police Chief AKBP I Gusti Ngurah Agung Budianaloka confirmed on Sunday that the four victims included a captain and three crew members of the tugboat TB AOM 787. He explained that the captain and crew were evacuated from the South Korean-flagged MV Shanghai Voyager, which had rescued them from a life raft on Saturday evening in the waters of the Anambas Islands. “The four victims were found by the foreign vessel after they had saved themselves using a life raft and survived at sea for approximately three hours,” he said. The incident was reported by the foreign vessel to the Indonesian SAR team, and the report was followed up by the Joint SAR Team in the Anambas Islands. The victims’ vessel sank due to extreme weather. During the evacuation process, the Joint SAR Team also faced high waves and strong winds. The four victims are Zulkifli, the captain, and three crew members, Arbain, Dodi, and Tawakal. They received further medical treatment at Tarempa Regional General Hospital in the Anambas Islands after being evacuated. Based on information received, TB AOM 787 was a tugboat towing a barge. It was traversing the waters of the Anambas Islands on Saturday when it encountered severe weather conditions, including strong winds and high waves. The impact of the large waves caused the vessel to lose stability. To anticipate the increasingly dangerous conditions, the crew took the step of cutting the towing line connecting the tugboat to the barge. However, shortly after being released from the barge, the vessel was still unable to withstand the conditions, capsized, and subsequently sank at around 1:00 p.m. Western Indonesia Time. “We are grateful that all crew members of TB AOM 787 were successfully found and evacuated in a safe condition,” he stated. The Police Chief urged the public and all maritime transport users to always prioritise safety and pay attention to weather conditions before setting sail. The Joint SAR Team elements came from Basarnas, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and the Indonesian National Police (Polri). “Safety must be the top priority in every activity at sea. We urge the entire community to increase vigilance, especially when weather conditions are unfavourable,” he said.