Longboat Carrying 14 Passengers Sinks in Maluku, One Dead
A longboat carrying 14 passengers was reported to have sunk in the waters between Sera Island and Selu Island, Tanimbar Islands Regency, Maluku, on Tuesday (8 July) at around 08.30 local time. One person was reported dead.
The boat departed from the Kumatubun village jetty on Sera Island at around 08.00 local time. Weather conditions were clear and the surrounding waters were favourable for sailing.
Around 30 minutes into the journey, the weather suddenly deteriorated, accompanied by strong winds and high waves. The longboat, which was still sailing, sank immediately.
All the passengers managed to swim and seek help. Thirteen passengers were eventually rescued by fishermen, while one person, named Thomas Kadung (42), was reported missing.
Wahyunan Samal, coordinator of the Saumlaki SAR post, said his team received a report from Saumlaki BPBD officials regarding the sunken longboat at around 11.10 local time.
“On 8 July 2026 at 11:10 local time, we received information from Mr Olo of the Tanimbar Islands BPBD that on 7 July 2026 at 08:30 local time, a longboat with 14 people on board sank,” Wahyunan said on Wednesday evening (9 July).
After receiving the report, a joint SAR team was dispatched with a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) and fishermen to the scene of the incident, located about 42.3 miles from Saumlaki port.
They combed the waters around Sera Island in wave conditions reaching 2.5 metres to search for the missing victim, Thomas Kadung (42).
After several hours of searching, the victim was found lifeless, floating in the waters of the mangrove forest in Tatun Angbabal hamlet, Selu Island, about 40.6 miles from the initial location of the incident.
“The longboat had 14 people on board; 13 people survived and one person was declared missing, named Thomas Kadung, a 42-year-old man,” he said.
Thomas Kadung’s body was then taken to Selu Island to be handed over to his family for burial. With the victim found, the SAR operation was declared closed.