Journalists survive boat mishap

A boat carrying a group of journalists and environmental activists sank on Tuesday morning at around 11 a.m. after it hit coral reefs off East Kalimantan.

The accident took place half an hour after the ship left the Derawan islands port for Sangalaki island in East Kalimantan.

The journalists -- Tantri Yuliandini of The Jakarta Post, Mawar Kusuma of Tempo, Yuni Kartika of Kompas and Sabar Subekti of Suara Pembaruan -- were on the island to join a field trip with Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Rokhmin Dahuri and environmental organizations Kehati and Bestari.

The ship departed from the port at around 10:30 a.m. but half an hour later it hit the reef and sank within 15 minutes.

The journalists managed to jump onto the reefs before a fishing boat owned by local fisherman Khaerun came by two hours later and rescued them.

"When we jumped onto the reefs, the seawater was already up to our waist but it got higher," Tantri said by phone.

The journalists were all safe along with activists Ali Sofiawan and Julia Kalmirah of Kehati and Yuyun Suhardiyono, Marwan and Hani Iriani of Bestari.

An official with the maritime ministry, Drama, confirmed later in the day that all the passengers were rescued and were in a good condition.

He said a fisherman's ship salvaged the ill-fated ship and took the journalists and activists to Derawan islands.

The minister himself was traveling on board another ship. -- JP