Speedboat Carrying 11 Foreign Tourists Goes Missing in Tomini Bay
A speedboat carrying 13 passengers — 11 foreign tourists and two crew members — has lost contact while sailing the waters of Tomini Bay in Tojo Unauna Regency, Central Sulawesi.
Entering the second day of the search on Saturday (25 July), the joint SAR team continued to maximise sweeping operations across the bay’s waters.
The vessel departed from Sanctum Unauna Dive Resort heading for Marisa Port in Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo Province, on Friday (24 July) at 07.30 Central Indonesia Time. The boat was scheduled to arrive at around 11.00 local time, but by 15.00 it had still not docked.
The alarm was raised when a local tour guide, Mimin, reported the incident to the Gorontalo Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas) at 15.40 on Friday afternoon to request assistance.
“We received the report on Friday and immediately launched a search operation,” said Head of Basarnas Gorontalo, Heriyanto, when contacted from Palu on Saturday (25 July).
According to Heriyanto, the vessel was recorded as carrying 13 passengers: one skipper, one crew member, and 11 guests who were foreign tourists.
The crew consisted of skipper Ferdiansyah, 29, and crew member Arif, 27.
“Since Saturday morning at 06.00 Central Indonesia Time, the joint SAR team has divided personnel and search vessels into three Air/Sea Search and Rescue Units (SRU),” Heriyanto explained.
SRU 1 (KAL Limboto) is sweeping along the estimated route with a search area covering 200 square nautical miles.
SRU 2 (Rigid Inflatable Boat / RIB 03 Gorontalo) is combing an area of 50 square nautical miles around the main crossing route.
Meanwhile, SRU 3 (Speed Boat Sanctum Una-Una), a team from the resort, has deployed speedboats to sweep an area of 50 square nautical miles.
“The search is focused on the estimated coordinates 0° 8’42.79” N - 121° 48’15.46” E (Radial 205.34° south-west of Pohon Cinta Beach, at a straight-line distance of about 20.23 NM).”
Dozens of personnel have been deployed, comprising teams from the Gorontalo Port Authority, Marisa SAR Post, the marine police, Pohuwato Police, the Gorontalo/Marisa Naval Base, and Sanctum Unauna Resort.
Sophisticated equipment, including a thermal drone, diving gear and specialised communication systems, has also been deployed to the location.
“Although the BMKG weather forecast shows clear skies, the field team faces natural challenges in the form of high waves ranging from 1.25 to 2.5 metres and strong winds blowing at 10–20 knots,” Heriyanto said.
As of the time of writing, there had been no sign of the vessel or its passengers. The search operation continues, making the most of the remaining daylight hours.
Basarnas Palu has deployed the KN SAR Bhisma to search for the 13 passengers of the motorised boat, including the 11 foreign tourists, who lost contact in the waters of Tomini Bay.
KM Ratna Ningsih departed from a fishing base in Majakerta Village on Thursday (23 July) at around 03.30 Western Indonesia Time heading towards open sea.
Basarnas Makassar has temporarily closed the SAR operation searching for the 14 victims of KM Nurul Salsa after 10 days of searching. The operation may be reopened if new findings emerge.
The joint SAR team found one male body on Matallang Island, bringing the death toll from KM Nurul Salsa to four. Fifteen people remain missing.
The DVI team of South Sulawesi Regional Police has successfully identified two bodies of victims of the KM Nurul Salsa sinking. The legal process related to alleged overloading is ongoing.