The second-day search operation for four missing Spanish foreigners after the sinking of the tourist boat Putri Sakinah in the waters off Pulau Padar, Labuan Bajo, uncovered boat debris and items, despite bad weather hindering efforts. The missing family consists of a father and his three children, while the wife and one daughter survived. The search continues amid challenges from high waves and heavy rain.
The tourist boat Putri Sakinah sank in Selat Padar on Friday night, December 26, 2025, at 20:30 WITA, due to engine failure while carrying 11 passengers toward Pulau Padar for trekking after visiting Pulau Kalong in Komodo National Park. The passengers included six Spanish tourists, four crew members, and one tour guide. Seven survived, including the victim's wife and one daughter, while the father and three children remain missing—a revision from initial reports of a husband, wife, and two children.
On the first day of search, Saturday, December 27, 2025, the joint SAR team could not dive due to strong currents and waves up to two meters but found boat body fragments, right-left walls, upper deck floor, and an LPG gas cylinder around Pulau Padar. The initial search lasted three hours without sighting the main hull.
On the second day, the team deployed vessels such as RIB from Pos SAR Manggarai Barat, Sea Rider from KSOP Labuan Bajo, RIB from Lanal Maumere, RIB from Ditpolair Polda NTT, and KPC vessel from Ditpolair Polda NTT. Findings included a gas cylinder at 09:45 WITA, debris shards at 09:57 WITA, and the captain's cabin body at 12:35 WITA, all within a five-nautical-mile radius of the incident site.
Labuan Bajo Pos SAR Coordinator Edy Suryono stated the search was temporarily halted at 16:30 WITA due to heavy rain, strong winds, and waves of 0.25-1.5 meters. "Conditions in Padar are heavy rain, and the search team is resting in North Padar," he said. Nevertheless, Maumere SAR Office Head Fathur Rahman affirmed the team's high spirits. "Despite challenges like high waves, strong currents, and heavy rain, the joint SAR team's spirit never fades."
Part of the team stayed overnight on Pulau Padar to resume operations on Sunday, December 28, 2025, with logistics preparations in Labuan Bajo. As of now, the four victims have not been found, and evacuation depends on sea conditions.
