SAR team finds final victim of ship collision in Kotabaru waters
The joint SAR team has successfully found the final victim of a collision between a fishing boat and a passenger vessel in the waters off Labuan Mas Village, Pulau Laut Selatan District, Kotabaru Regency, South Kalimantan, after a search lasting three days.
Head of the Banjarmasin SAR Office, I Putu Sudayana, acting as SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC), stated on Saturday that the last victim, named Gilang (23), a resident of Hilir Muara Village, Pulau Laut Sigam District, was discovered today at around 17:08 Wita stranded on a coastal area, deceased.
“All seven victims of the shipping accident that occurred on 17 June 2026 have been found and evacuated,” he said.
Previously, six victims had been found earlier, with five surviving and one deceased. Gilang, the seventh victim, was the only one who had been declared missing, prompting the search to continue until he was located on the third day of the joint SAR operation.
He expressed appreciation for the cooperation of all joint SAR elements, relevant agencies, the local community, and fishermen who participated in the search since the collision was reported by the police on Wednesday (17/6).
The search operation involved the Kotabaru SAR Post Rescue team, the Kotabaru Naval Base, Kotabaru Water Police, Sebuku Police Sector, the Kotabaru Regional Disaster Management Agency, and local fishermen. The team conducted sweeps via sea routes and along the coastline to locate the missing victim.
During the operation, the joint SAR team deployed various supporting assets, including a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), operational vehicles, communication equipment, water rescue gear, diving equipment, a Starlink device, and other supporting tools.
Once found, the victim’s body was evacuated to Pangeran Jaya Sumitra Hospital for further procedures.
“We urge all maritime transport users to always prioritise shipping safety by paying attention to weather conditions and ensuring safety equipment is complete before setting sail, to prevent similar accidents from recurring,” said I Putu Sudayana.